


Demons

by Are_Words_Enough



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Homelessness, Implied Sexual Content, Loneliness, M/M, Nightmares, POV Liam Dunbar, POV Nolan Holloway, POV Theo Raeken, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:54:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 166,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Are_Words_Enough/pseuds/Are_Words_Enough
Summary: It's been a few weeks since the anuk-ite  was defeated and Beacon Hills has been quiet. Liam is trying to adapt to his role as "alpha" and an empty home and absentee friends. Nolan is just trying to make it day to day in a town that feels like it despises his very existence. And Theo... Theo is trying to make it to the next day.
Relationships: Alec/Nolan (Teen Wolf), Liam Dunbar & Nolan, Liam Dunbar/Theo Raeken
Comments: 120
Kudos: 178





	1. The Deal

Nolan was surprised at how bad Liam was at fighting games. Well, not bad so much as not really that good. His co-captain had a lot of them, so he figured he would be at least decent. Nolan had been struggling for the past couple of hours to not seem too good at them. Liam had just been struggling. He’d actually won a couple matches, but most of his wins had been from Nolan holding back.

He didn’t want to upset Liam. A part of that was his IED. A bigger part was that Liam was the only real friend he had left. People at school hadn’t treated him the same since the anuk-ite had corrupted Beacon Hills.

Nothing was really the same since then, but you’d be hard pressed to find someone willing to talk about it. Nolan couldn’t understand it, how people could just move on from something like that. It seemed like they had though, at least on the surface. He could swear everyone still held a grudge against him, the supernaturals for outing them and the humans for betraying them.

Getting to hang out with Liam was a godsend. Even if he wasn’t that good at fighting games. He actually treated Nolan like a friend, though Nolan was sure he didn’t deserve it.

He gave Liam another opening to win the match and moments later the co-captain was cheering victory. Nolan kind of felt bad for letting him win, but he was afraid he wouldn’t get invited back if he played at his best. And he wanted to be invited back.

His stomach growled, “Hey, are you hungry?”

Liam stopped celebrating to consider the question, standing up as he answered “Actually, yeah. Let me go make us something to eat.”

Nolan scrambled to his feet, “Oh, uh, no. You don’t have to do that.”

“Really, it’s no problem. I don’t mind.”

“I’ve actually kind of been craving some fast food.”

“Ok, we can go grab something then.” Liam shrugged

Nolan snatched his keys out of his pocket, “I’ll drive?”

“Sure”

Nolan hopped in his car and started the engine. He watched as Liam locked the front door of the house before coming around and jumping in the passenger seat. Nolan waited for Liam to finish putting on his seatbelt before pulling out of the driveway.

“So, what do you wanna get?” Nolan asked.

“You’re the one with the craving. Honestly, I’m good with whatever.”

“Uh, ok, don’t laugh.” Nolan let himself glance over to check Liam’s face.

“Don’t laugh?” Liam’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

“Yeah, uh,” hopefully Liam wouldn’t laugh, “I really want some chicken nuggets.”

“Why would I laugh? That sounds good!”

Nolan half chuckled to himself. Liam hadn’t laughed, “I had a friend who always made fun of me for it.” Nolan frowned a bit. Memories of Gabe calling his order a kiddie meal flashing in the back of his mind. 

“Well, your friend sounds lame.”

“Yeah,” Nolan frowned, he felt like he shouldn’t be sad, but he was, a little, “kind of.” He tried to turn his head so that Liam couldn’t see it and still keep an eye on the road. There were a few moments of what, for Nolan, was an uncomfortable silence.

Liam broke it, “Sorry.”

Oh, shit. Nolan had made things weird, “No, it’s fine.” The silence returned and Nolan could feel Liam’s eyes on him. He was going to have to force himself to cheer up or he was sure Liam wouldn’t want to hang out ever again, “There’s a new place that has spicy nuggets. Do you wanna check it out?”

“Oh, are you talking about Chicky Dee’s?”

Nolan nodded and forced a grin, “Yeah, is that cool?”

“Works for me.” Liam had returned to scanning the passing buildings.

“Ok, good.” Nolan was relieved, “So, what kind of music do you like?”

Liam shook his head a little and chuckled, “Alright, it’s your turn not to laugh.”

Nolan’s grin became a lot less fake when he heard Liam laughing at himself, “You didn’t laugh at me, there’s no way I’m laughing at you.”

“So... I like...” Liam was really drawing it out, “Taylor Swift.”

“Really?” Nolan was genuinely surprised.

“Yep.” Liam actually shrunk into his seat a little, clearly embarrassed. ”She writes good break up songs.” The words were kind of a mumble.

“Break up songs?”

“Yeah.” Liam huffed and the silence came back. He was keeping his eyes locked on the car in front of them.

Nolan cursed himself for asking. He’d messed up again. Thankfully Dee’s was just around the corner. The gear shift slipping into park was the next thing either of them heard. Nolan offering another forced grin when Liam turned towards the sound.

“Well, we’re here.” Nolan was sure that he sounded awkward.

He and Liam got out of the car and Nolan rushed ahead to open the door. Nolan already knew what he wanted to order, but he patiently waited for Liam to look over the menu. He did his best to not seem impatient, his stomach growling audibly. Liam smirked. Nolan was sure it was because of the angry gurgling sounds.

“Go ahead, I’ll figure out what I want by the time you’re done ordering.” Liam gestured Nolan to the counter.

Nolan stepped up and asked for a ten piece of the spicy nuggets with ranch and a chocolate milk. True to his word, Liam ordered right after him. Nolan was too self-conscious about having ordered chocolate milk without thinking. Liam must not have heard him or he’d probably already be laughing at his expense. That’s not the kind of thing a high school senior ordered. He wondered if he could change it, but then that would bring attention to it. Maybe he could just say it was an accident or they misheard his order.

Nolan waited for their food nervously. It was only a couple minutes, but it felt like at least 20. He was about to start pacing when two trays clattered onto the counter along with their order numbers being called out. To his surprise two identical trays sat there, a ten piece and a bottle of chocolate milk on each. They must have gotten something wrong.

“You ok?” Liam’s words were cautious as he grabbed one of the trays.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just... did they get your order right?”

“Yep.” Liam, “I thought about getting a chicken sandwich, but your order sounded pretty good.”

“Oh,” Nolan wasn’t sure why, but he blushed. Thankfully, Liam was already walking towards the booths and tables and couldn’t see it. Nolan took a deep breath, picked up his own tray and followed Liam to an empty table in the corner.

“Wow, these are actually pretty good.” Liam had already peeled open one of his ranch packets and was going for a second dip, “Thanks for changing my mind.”

It took Nolan a second to realize what Liam meant, “Uh, you’re welcome?” Liam just laughed while he popped the seal on his chocolate milk bottle.

Nolan carefully rearranged his tray, lining up the nugget box so it was parallel with the edges of the plastic tray. He placed his bottle of milk neatly in the upper right hand corner. His ranch packets were two little soldiers flanking the nuggets. Once he was satisfied, he popped the box and counted to make sure all ten were there, then tried one without ranch first. Liam was right, they were pretty good. Crunchy, moist, and the spice wasn’t too intense.

“They are pretty good,” Nolan finally peeled open the ranch cup on the left of his nuggets.

Liam had watched him carefully arrange his tray without a word. Maybe it was because his co-captain didn’t think any of it was weird. Maybe it was so weird he was lost for words. Nolan realized Liam had actually just been so busy eating that he couldn’t fit the words around the food when he saw the empty box in front of him. 

Nolan carefully dipped his second nugget, “So, do you think we’ll make the playoffs this year?”

Liam took two big gulps of the chocolate milk before responding. Huh, he actually did like it, “Can we maybe not talk lacrosse?”

“Oh, sure.” Nolan couldn’t even have a conversation the right way.

“I know you like fighting games. Anything else you like to play?” Liam leaned back in the seat, clearly not in any rush to leave.

The two of them talked about gaming for the next few minutes as Nolan carefully picked his way through the spicy nuggets. Sips of chocolate milk tamed the heat as he kept the conversation going. After about half an hour, he’d finished. He carefully stacked both his and Liam’s empty ranch containers inside of each other. Then, he placed them inside the stacked nuggets boxes, making sure all of their trash was contained neatly in the smallest space possible.

“Here, I’ll take that up.” Liam took the trays to one of the trash cans.

Nolan looked out the windows to the warm tones in the sky. He knew he needed to take Liam home, but at the same time he didn’t want to cut the hangout short. Liam snapped his attention back from the window with a light knock on the table.

“Ready to go?” Liam asked.

No. “Yeah,” Nolan lied as he got up from the table, keys in hand.

They started the drive back to Liam’s house. Making small talk as the sun slid away, taking all of the beautiful colors with it. Nolan kept thinking back to how the day had gone, sure he’d made a fool of himself. Liam was probably just taking pity on him. There’s no way he actually wanted to be friends.

“Hey! Can you pull into that lot?” Liam was pointing to an abandoned building up ahead on their right. A blue truck sat parked on the edge of the otherwise vacant parking lot. It seemed oddly familiar. Nolan did as he was asked though, didn’t want to make the day any worse than he already had.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” Liam was already undoing his seat belt before the car had fully stopped. The roof light flicked on as he climbed out and dashed over to the truck. Nolan had to lean over and fully close the door so the light would go out. He slid down in his seat as he remembered why the truck was familiar. He wasn’t sure why the thought filled him with dread, but he felt it nonetheless.

* * *

Theo woke up to a knock on the window. He hoped if he just kept his eyes closed it would go away. He knew it wouldn’t, but he hoped. It wasn’t the second series of knocks that made him sit up in the back seat. It was the voice that followed them.

“Theo?” Liam’s concern made it sound like a question.

Theo blinked awake. He’d only seen Liam once since the hospital. Since he realized that Liam had influenced him more than he thought. Since he’d started to feel different when he was around the little wolf. He fumbled for the window controls and rolled it down, the cool night air drifting into the back seat of the truck.

“Do you need me to save the day?” Theo felt groggy.

Liam laughed, “No.”

Theo tried to wipe the sleep from his eyes, “Then why’d you hunt me down?”

“Hunt you down?” Liam’s eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, “I saw your truck from the road.”

“Oh.” Theo felt oddly disappointed.

“You didn’t answer my texts.”

“Yeah,” It was true, he hadn’t. He meant to, but he’d neglected them so long he thought it would be weird if he answered. “I was busy.” That was a lie.

“Sorry.” Liam’s look of confusion started to turn into frustration.

“Who’s waiting on you?” Theo gestured with his chin to the running car parked a few feet away. He could tell there was someone in the driver’s seat, but the headlights kept him from making out who it was. The make of the car wasn’t familiar either.

“Nolan.” Liam glanced back towards the car.

Theo glared through the headlights at the driver, “Huh, ok.”

“Yeah, we just grabbed some food.”

“That’s nice.” Theo’s tone was flat while he maintained his glare. Something about the info Liam kept volunteering had started to bother him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it was there. When he brought his eyes back to Liam he could see the confusion had returned.

Liam huffed, “Sorry to bother you. Go ahead and go back to sleep.” Liam turned and started to head back to the car.

“No, wait.” Theo sighed. This wasn’t how he wanted this to go. “What did you want? Really.”

Liam slowly spun back to face Theo, “I just want you to answer my texts.” The little wolf almost sounded sad, “I thought you’d left without saying anything.”

Theo didn’t like what he heard in Liam’s voice. He especially didn’t like the idea it was his fault. He tried to make sure his own voice was more genuine, “Well, I’m still here in Beacon Hills. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Can you make me a deal then? Next time I text you, answer it. Please.” Liam was staring right into his eyes.

Theo smirked. “A deal implies there’s something in it for me.” He knew he was pushing his luck, but it was hard to resist.

“Fine, what do you want Theo?” Liam was exasperated.

“I want you to take me out to eat.” Part of him was jealous of Nolan for some reason. The other part was honestly just hungry. He’d spent the last bit of money he had on more time for his prepaid phone and a gym membership. It hadn’t left him with much for food

“Really? That’s it?”

Theo nodded, “Yeah. So, deal?” He wondered if it was really going to be this easy.

“Deal.” Liam reached his hand through the window for a handshake. 

Theo grabbed the warm hand shaking it in confirmation. Maybe it was in his head, but Liam’s skin felt oddly warm. Theo felt a pang of disappointment when Liam finally pulled his hand away.

Liam’s eyes scanned the inside of the truck, “Sorry I woke you up.” There was a pause before he asked, “Why are you sleeping in your truck anyway?”

“Seemed like a better idea than driving tired.” Theo’s answer was technically the truth.

“Oh, Makes sense.”

Theo’s eyebrows raised briefly in response. He scooted closer to the open window, leaning an arm on it. He could just barely feel the body heat radiating off of Liam. The soft warmth was nice. Theo caught himself trying to breath it in. He only got a small whiff and Liam’s scent was mingled in with it. A day’s worth of lounging around mixed with the gentle scent of strawberry soap. It was familiar and weirdly comforting.

Theo broke the brief silence, “Something else you need help with?”

Liam shook his head. He still had a look on his face like he had almost figured something out, but whatever it was just wouldn’t come together, “No. I’ll uh,” he was still thinking, “I’ll go.” 

Liam turned and walked away again. Theo didn’t stop him this time. Instead, he rolled the window back up, but kept his eyes on Liam as the little wolf got into Nolan’s car.

He let his forehead rest against the glass while he watched them drive off into what was now firmly night time. His stomach clenched. He wondered how soon he could take Liam up on his half of their deal. Obviously, he wasn’t going to ask before Liam redeemed his half. There was no way he was going to let Liam hold that over him.

Theo pulled his phone out of the pocket on the back of the driver’s seat. Shit. 28%. He grabbed the loose end of the charger cable and plugged it into his phone. He was going to make sure he kept up his end of their deal.

He lay back down, stretched across the back seat. He stared up at the roof of the truck. His thoughts wandered as he drifted back to sleep. He thought about the warmth of Liam’s hand and the smell of strawberries just barely covering the little wolf’s light musk.

Theo told himself that he was anxious to receive Liam’s text because that meant he could cash in on some free food. He tried to push the real reason out of his mind, but it kept sneaking back in. Somehow, despite all sense and logic, he missed Liam.

* * *

Liam stared out the window as they started to weave through the suburbs of Beacon Hills. Today was a weird day. Hanging out with Nolan has been fun. Not that he thought it wouldn’t be, but they’d only really spent time together on the lacrosse field and in the locker room. 

He was surprised when Nolan asked if he was busy today. He could smell the nervousness wafting off of Nolan as he waited for an answer. Just a couple weeks ago he would have been busy. He and Mason always hung out on Fridays, but lately more and more of Mason’s time was dedicated to Corey instead. Things had gotten a lot more intense between the two of them since the hospital.

Honestly, Liam was kind of jealous. He missed having that kind of connection with someone. Hayden had basically been his whole world before she up and left Beacon Hills with barely a goodbye. It had crushed him. Mason and Corey had been the ones to help him through it, so it was hard to be mad at them for getting closer with each other. He was though, he hardly ever saw Mason lately. They were supposed to be best friends, but the most time they spent together lately was in their science class and the school halls.

So, he’d said yes to Nolan. Mostly to end the odor of anxiety that he was filling the locker room with. When Nolan showed up at his house the scent had returned. Up in his room, when he showed him his game collection it eased off. It was nice having someone to game with again. Nolan was a pretty decent challenge too.

Liam wasn’t surprised he’d lost track of time playing games. It was nice to just not think for a while. He’d been stressing out a lot about his new role as the “alpha” of Beacon Hills. Scott had assured him he was ready to take over, but he still didn’t feel it. Plus, what really was his pack? Liam, Corey, and Mason? Are just three people really a pack?

At least he could reach out to Parrish if he needed help. And he thought he could do the same with Theo. He’d checked in with him after the hospital, trying to see if he was ok, but the chimera acted kind of strange the whole time. Then there was the complete radio silence that followed. He really had thought Theo had just left without a word.

That’s why he yelled for Nolan to stop when he saw Theo’s blue truck. He felt kind of guilty waking Theo up. The chimera looked so peaceful lying in the back seat all wrapped up in a blanket. He was glad Theo agreed to text him back. If all it was going to cost was a meal somewhere, it was more than worth it.

He’d been kind of distracted during their conversation though. There was something strange going on with Theo. He was trying to figure out what it was, but he just couldn’t put it together. Of course, any attempt to read Theo was no help either. Liam was sure that he must have missed something.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by the radio being turned up. The station Nolan had on was playing ‘Shake It Off’, and he seemed almost too excited to blast it for Liam. He couldn’t help but laugh when Nolan started to get into the song. Unfortunately, that just seemed to make Nolan self-conscious and he was quick to turn the radio back down when the song ended.

It wasn’t long after that, Nolan was pulling into the empty driveway. Liam’s parents were probably going to be working through the night again. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d had some family time. He was lucky if he could get a few minutes with his step-dad at the hospital.

“Hey, uh, Liam?” Nolan sounded as nervous as he smelled.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for hanging out with me.”

“I had fun,” Liam tried to reassure him. He kind of wanted to ask him if he’d like to come in, he hated how empty the house felt when he was all by himself. He pushed that selfish thought aside and went with, “Be careful driving home.”

“Thanks, see you at practice?” Nolan grinned.

“Definitely.” Liam undid his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He lingered in the driveway to watch Nolan leave, but also to avoid the loneliness of going inside. He couldn’t help overhear Nolan berating himself.

“Of course he’ll be at practice you idiot, he’s co-captain.” Nolan’s words just barely audible to Liam’s werewolf senses as they competed with the rev of the engine.

Liam shook his head as he walked up to the door. He really hoped that Nolan would get a little less anxious as they hung out more. He fished his keys out of his pocket and used them to get back inside, locking the door behind him.

He trudged up to his room. He tried to distract himself with games first. When he couldn’t find something he enjoyed playing he tried to find a show to watch. When that didn’t pan out he poked through some of the apps on his phone, but that didn’t distract him for long either.

It was getting kind of late, so Liam decided to strip down and crawl into bed. If nothing else could hold his attention, he figured he was better off just trying to sleep. Try was the operative word. He lay staring at his ceiling and waiting to start dreaming but instead he just got caught up in his head again.

When it rolled around to midnight, Liam grabbed his phone again. He went through his contacts looking for someone to help distract him. He sent a text to Mason, checking if he was even awake. After a ten minute wait he assumed Mason must be either asleep or distracted. He scrolled further down the list until he landed in the ‘T’s. He stared at the little text icon next to Theo’s number. Theo had promised to answer his next text.

Liam tapped the icon, greeted by his unanswered texts from a couple weeks ago. Chances are Theo was probably still asleep anyway. It had only been three or four hours since he’d woken the chimera up in his truck. 

He tapped to start a message.

_Hey, what are you doing?_

No. He backspaced the whole thing.

_Sorry about waking you up before._

That wasn’t going to do either.

_Are you awake?_

He stared at it for a minute or two. He didn’t hate it. He didn’t necessarily like it either, but it was apparently the best he was going to come up with. He hovered a finger of the send button. What was he going to do if Theo answered? Beg the chimera to come pick him up? Maybe. Probably.

He sent it. He stared at the open chat for the next five minutes. Nothing. He tossed the phone onto the other side of the bed. He grabbed a pillow and wrapped it around his face before screaming. He pulled the pillow away and took a deep breath of cold air before covering his face again and howling into it, fully shifting. 

He pulled the pillow away again and tried to calm down by taking big even breaths. After the fourth breath, his phone lit up with a new notification. Theo had texted back.

_Well, I’m awake now. What do you want?_

Liam’s howl must have traveled further than expected. He tried to figure out his response. Eventually, he decided to just be blunt.

_Can you come pick me up?_

Liam watched the dots pulse at the bottom of the text window.

_Ok, but we’re getting food right after._

_And you owe me gas money._

He actually laughed out loud at his phone. It might not have been a big full chested cackle, but it was a real laugh.

_I’m at my house._

Liam was about to ask if Theo needed the address before he got a response.

_I’m on the way._

* * *

Theo drummed on the steering wheel with his fingers. The red light felt like it was taking forever to change. Why did they always seem longer in the middle of the night? Maybe it was how empty the roads were. Maybe how that emptiness increased the temptation to just run the light. He thought about it, but before he could act on that impulse it finally turned green.

He’d fallen back asleep pretty easily after Liam had left. Unfortunately, the pleasant thoughts didn’t follow him into his dreams. Tara was waiting for him there, in the dark parts of his mind. As he tried to escape her, something pierced through it all. A howl. A very familiar howl. 

Theo bolted upright out of the nightmare. His clothes were drenched with sweat. He used a sleeve to wipe off his forehead. What was it that woke him up? He didn’t usually get to escape his nightmares, so something must have happened. He forced himself to remember the howl, fighting with the haze of the fading memories of his nightmare. Oh, shit! Liam!

Theo scrambled to pull the phone out of the back of the driver’s seat almost dropping it twice. Was there already trouble in Beacon Hills again. When he had finally gotten it unlocked he’d glared at the text message. He tapped out his reply.

He rolled his eyes at Liam’s request before another stomach cramp encouraged him to go ahead and respond. His mind flicked to how low his gas tank had gotten and he tossed in another demand. When Liam accepted his terms he stripped off his still wet clothes and shoved them in the bag he kept for dirty clothes. He pulled out his clean clothes to discover he was on his last outfit. Hopefully, he could afford to set aside some of the gas money for quarters.

He quickly tugged on the t-shirt and jeans before hopping into the driver’s seat, revving up the engine, and letting Liam know he was on the way.

The drive wasn’t long, but the eternal red lights and his aching stomach made it feel a lot longer. He wasn’t sure why Liam would reach out in the middle of the night. As long as he found out over something to eat, he didn’t really care why.

When he finally pulled up to Liam’s house, he was surprised to find the driveway empty. He wondered if something had happened to Liam’s parents. The calm expression on Liam’s face as he locked the door to the house and strolled down walk to Theo’s truck said otherwise. Liam tugged at the handle for the passenger door a couple times before staring into the window at Theo. He didn’t normally have passengers so he hadn’t thought about the door being locked. A quick press of the button and a click let them both know it was now open. Liam finally climbed up into the seat and yanked the door shut.

“That was rude.” Liam’s tone sounded like he’d expected it.

“You’re one to talk.” Theo’s voice was still a bit groggy.

“Excuse me?”

“Howling because you didn’t get a response to your text? Needed me that bad, huh?” Theo pulled out of the driveway.

“What? No, that’s not--” In the darkness Theo wasn’t sure if Liam might have been blushing, “Where are you driving anyways?”

“There’s an all night diner that’s pretty close. Don’t worry, it’s pretty cheap.” Theo held out a hand while they waited at another everlasting red light.

Liam furrowed his brow at the hand, “What?”

Theo looked at the needle on his gas gauge. It was almost touching the line for empty, “I’m gonna have to get gas right after we eat.”

“Oh, right.” Liam fumbled with his wallet and pulled out a $20 placing it in Theo’s palm.

Theo folded the bill with one hand and shoved it deep into the pocket of his jeans, “So, big trouble in Beacon Hills?”

Theo could feel Liam’s eye roll, “No.”

“Ok, then what’s going on?” Theo wanted to say he didn’t care, but he knew that wasn’t true.

“I was--” Liam stopped, seemingly rethinking his words, “I just needed to get out.”

“Fair enough.”

Theo was hoping Liam hadn’t heard his stomach grumbling, but he knew there was no way a werewolf could miss it. Thankfully, Liam never acknowledged it. They rode in relative silence for a couple more minutes. The well lit diner stood out from the darkened buildings they’d been passing by.

Theo pulled into the mostly barren parking lot and he could already smell the food cooking inside. Once he was parked the two of them silently made their way. The closer he got to smell and the idea of having the food the more his stomach churned. Liam might not have said anything about it, but Theo caught him glancing towards the noises coming from his gut.

Eventually a waitress stepped out of the kitchen and called for them to go ahead and pick somewhere to sit. Liam snagged a booth tucked into a corner and Theo took the seat across from him. They both started quietly scanning the menus on the table.

“Ok, so what can I getcha?” The waitress looked like she might be in her early forties. Her greying hair was pulled back in a ponytail, she had an apron tied around her waist that already had a couple stains, and she had a pen ready to write on a small notepad. Her wrinkled uniform had a name tag pinned to it that read ‘Jane’.

“Plain belgian waffle please. And some apple juice.” Liam slipped his menu back in the holder that sat in the middle of the table near the wall.

“I’ll have the full breakfast. Eggs over easy, sausage, country potatoes, white toast, and the pancakes with coffee.” Theo did the same.

“That gonna be all, guys?” The waitress asked as she penned the last of Theo’s order.

Theo looked at Liam gauging whether or not he could push their deal by adding another item. He wasn’t really asking for permission, but Liam nodded to him, “And a bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwich.”

“Ok, breakfast sandwich.” The waitress wrote while she spoke, “I’ll be right back with that juice and coffee.”

“Can we get some water too, please?” Liam asked.

“Sure thing, hun.”

The waitress left them alone again as she went to turn in their order and prepare their drinks. Liam had curled into the corner of the booth, picking at the little paper band that kept the napkin wrapped around his utensils. Anticipation of the food had gotten Theo’s stomach even more riled up. He’d already unrolled his utensils and was tapping the back of the knife on the table.

“Thanks.” Theo mumbled. He still kind of felt bad for adding the sandwich to the order.

Liam straightened up in his seat, he’d spotted the waitress coming back with their drinks, “It’s just a sandwich.” He didn’t sound worried about it.

“Alright,” The waitress set down an orange juice, two glasses of water, a coffee cup, a carafe full of coffee and a bowl of little individual creamers, “Foods gonna be another ten minutes. If you need anythin’, just holler.”

“Thanks,” Liam smiled up at Jane. Even though Theo could tell it was just a polite smile, he still liked seeing it on the little wolf’s face.

Theo’s gut groaned again, louder than it had all night. He closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but it didn’t care. Liam was staring at his stomach openly now, the smile he put on for Jane gone.

“When was the last time you ate?” Liam asked. Theo wasn’t sure if it was curiosity or concern he heard.

Theo huffed, “It hasn’t been that long.” He lied.

Liam clearly wasn’t happy with that answer, but he didn’t challenge it, “Thanks for answering my text.”

“Who am I to deny the local alpha’s howl?” Theo was pouring coffee into his cup and adding some creamers and sugar packets.

“Sorry, I was just frustrated.” Liam watched as Theo dipped a spoon into his coffee to stir it.

“I’ll bet.” Theo took a little bit of the coffee in the spoon and raised it to his lips, blowing gently to cool it off.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Theo shrugged and put the spoon in his mouth. Close enough, no amount of cream or sugar was going to hide how bad the coffee was, but it was palatable. And it was caffeine.

Liam snarled, it was incredibly brief, but Theo still caught it. He wasn’t trying to piss him off. He leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling tiles. It would be a lot easier to be nice once he could get his stomach to calm down.

Liam had pulled over a little folded ad that sat on the table by the sugar packets. Theo watched his eyes scan every word on it. Theo let his coffee sit, trying to drink it right now would just make his stomach situation worse. The empty diner enhanced the quiet between them.

Thankfully, Jane came over to end their silence, “Belgian waffle.” The plate landed in front Liam, “Full breakfast and a bacon egg and cheese muffin.” One by one, four plates clattered against the table in front of Theo, “And I’m sure you two won’t mind sharing some syrup.” She placed the little pitcher of syrup between them, “You boys good to go?”

Theo scanned the plates to make sure nothing was missing. Everything looked right. He carefully moved the breakfast sandwich away from the rest of the food. He wanted to just start stuffing his face, but he’d made that mistake before. He was going to have to go slow if he didn’t want to end up getting sick.

“I’m good,” Liam’s eyes were on Theo.

“Yeah,” Theo nodded to Liam then Jane.

“Well, like I said before, you need anythin’, just holler.” Jane tucked the large tray that had carried their plates under her arm and headed back to the kitchen.

Theo speared one of his sausage links with his fork and bit off the end. He counted to 20 as he chewed, trying to make sure he took his time. He watched Liam spread butter on his waffle before drizzling some of the syrup over it. The silence continued as they ate, punctuated by the tapping and scraping of their utensils on their plates.

About halfway through his eggs and potatoes Theo’s stomach had finally calmed down. He let out a slow sigh. It was nice to not have the hunger eating at the back of his mind.

“That good, huh?” Liam had leaned back in his seat.

Theo had noticed him watching a while ago, but didn’t really care. Theo had put another bite of food in his mouth just as Liam had asked, so he just nodded his response. It might not have been the best thing he ever ate, but it was incredibly satisfying to eat enough to actually be full.

“Good,” Liam sipped at his juice and looked out the window.

Theo swallowed the bite and ventured starting an actual conversation, “You seem kind of stressed out.”

“Huh?” Liam turned back to him, confusion all over his face.

“That’s what I meant earlier.”

“Oh... yeah.”

“Want to talk about it?” Theo continued to work on his food.

Liam looked like he was seriously considering it, “I don’t know.”

“You can always deny it later. Who’re they going to believe? The local alpha or the omega?”

Liam almost looked offended, “Theo.”

Shit. Theo realized he’d said something wrong again, “What?”

“Nevermind.” Liam hacked another piece off of his waffle and shoved it in his mouth.

Yep, Theo had definitely messed up. He set his fork down and combed through his hair with his fingers, rubbing the back of his head before he went back to eating. He glanced up at Liam who’d gone back to looking out the window.

“Actually, yes.” Liam almost slammed his apple juice back down on the table, “I am stressed out.”

Theo stopped eating and set down his fork and knife. He sat up in his seat, offering Liam his full attention. He looked the little wolf right in his eyes.

“I don’t know what I’m doing.” Liam sighed and broke the eye contact looking down at the mostly eaten waffle in front of him, “Everyone leaves and I’m just supposed to keep Beacon Hills safe? Scott had, like, everyone helping him. Who do I have? Corey and Mason? Haven’t seen those outside of school in weeks. Parrish if I’m lucky? How am I supposed to do this by myself?”

Theo didn’t realize how angry he looked, “You have me.” The words even sounded angry.

“Well, yeah. When you decide to answer your phone.” Liam looked annoyed.

Theo felt the wolf inside him latch onto the anger, “I’m going to the bathroom.” 

He threw himself out of the booth and stomped to the tiny little bathroom in the back. He’d heard Liam call his name, but he ignored it. He slammed the door shut behind him and locked it. Why was he so angry? He grabbed the sides of the sink and stared back at himself.

It was true, he’d ignored Liam’s texts. He was staring at the person that made that choice. The person who made Liam completely discount him. The person who added a selfish condition to just responding to a text. He shook his head and looked away. He couldn’t look at that person anymore.

Theo ran some cold water and splashed it on his face. Why did he care so much what Liam thought? Why did this matter? He already had enough to worry about, but this is what pissed him off? A knock on the door startled him.

“Theo?” It was Liam’s voice.

“Yeah?” Shit, he still sounded angry.

“Look, I--” He could hear Liam lean against the door, “I’m sorry.”

Theo tore off a couple paper towels and dried his face. He unlocked the door and waited for the sound of Liam stepping back before carefully opening it. Liam stood there staring down at the aged linoleum.

“I didn’t mean anything by it, really.” Liam’s voice had gone soft.

“Ok,” Theo hoped if his response was quick it wouldn’t sound so mad, but he should have known better.

“Ok?” Liam lifted his head just enough to look up at Theo’s face.

“Yeah. Ok.” Why did he sound so angry?!

“Alright,” Liam’s gulp was audible.

Theo watched Liam tip toe back to their booth. He needed to calm down, this wasn’t helping anything. He took a couple deep breaths, filling his chest before slowly breathing out. Liam had opened up to him, hell, he’d asked Liam to open up to him and then he reacted like this. He was going to have to make it up to him. Somehow.

Theo trudged back to his seat, anger mostly released. He could still feel some tension. He was trying to will it to go away, but he wasn’t very successful. There was still a little bit of food left on his plates. Half a sausage link and a couple pieces of potatoes sat in the yolk he hadn’t been able to wipe up with his toast. The pancakes and sandwich were completely untouched.

He forced himself to finish the last couple bites of the platter. There must be something he could offer Liam. He needed to fix this. Whenever he looked over, Liam was just staring through the window. He could tell the little wolf’s eyes were unfocused, lost in thought. Well, maybe there was something he could do.

“I’ll always answer your texts.” Theo spat out the words as he stared at the now empty plate.

“What?” Liam pulled his eyes from the window to look at Theo.

“I’ll always answer your texts.” Theo looked up for the next two words, “I promise.”

Liam seemed to consider these words, looking over the chimera, “Ok.”

Theo wondered if Liam actually believed him. He hoped he did. He knew he’d have to prove it. He was ready to prove it.

Liam eyed Theo’s untouched food suspiciously, “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, but I need some foil.” Theo gestured to the uneaten items.

“Jane!” Liam shouted towards the kitchen. He turned and shrugged at Theo.

After a few moments she came from the back and was standing at their table, “Whatcha need hun?”

“Could we get a couple to go boxes?” Liam asked.

“Uh, actually, could we get a couple sheets of foil?” Theo interjected.

Jane squinted at him briefly, “Sure hun. One check or two?”

“Uh, one.” Liam said. Theo could swear there was another light blush on the little wolf’s cheeks.

“Alright. Be right back with the bill and some foil.” Jane hustled back to the kitchen.

Theo studied Liam’s cheeks. Maybe he’d been wrong about the blushing. Jane came back pretty quickly, setting the bill next to Liam who slipped a card into the folder before she could finish handing Theo his sheets of foil. A few moments later and Theo had wrapped up both the pancakes and the breakfast sandwich and Liam had written out a tip and signed the receipt.

They left the diner, jumping into Theo’s truck and buckling in. Theo handed Liam the wrapped food and asked him to put it in the glove box. Theo could see Liam thought it was strange, but this way he had something to eat. If he stretched it out, it might last two or three days.

“Alright, think about what you want to do while I get some gas.” Theo pulled out of the diner’s parking lot.

Liam had his phone out, tapping at the keyboard. After a moment he set the phone face down on his leg.

Theo’s phone dinged. Since they were at a stop sign he checked it.

_Do you know any good stargazing spots?_

Theo quickly typed out an answer and sent it before continuing to the closest gas station he could think of.

_Actually, yes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am currently looking for betas for this work. Please let me know if you'd be interested.


	2. Full Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the release plan for this fic is to post at least one chapter every Saturday. If I get far enough ahead, you guys might see an extra chapter here and there.

Liam was waiting in the truck while Theo went inside to pay for some gas. Being in the truck didn’t smell like being in other people’s cars. Every breath he took smelled like Theo. Maybe it was because he’d taken a nap in it earlier. As much as he found it a little strange, he didn’t mind. Theo actually smelled kind of nice. He wondered if it was weird to like someone’s scent if you weren’t dating them.

He still felt bad for upsetting Theo earlier. He was just venting, but of course he explained it wrong. Theo was right there with him, he hadn’t really thought he needed to include him in his list. Of course when Theo got mad at him he got defensive and said something stupid, like usual. Just another reason he probably shouldn’t be Beacon Hills’ ‘alpha’. 

He stared at the sky and thought about Theo’s promise. It kind of came out of nowhere. He was glad though, he didn’t think his bank account could handle it if every text with Theo cost him thirty dollars. Thinking about texting reminded him to send a text to his parents letting them know he’d be at a friend’s place, maybe overnight. After a few minutes the only answer was a quick ‘ok’.

The sounds of Theo putting gas in the truck drew his attention to the driver’s side. He watched out the window, there was something off about Theo, but he couldn’t figure out what. He wasn’t acting suspicious or anything, just didn’t seem like the same Theo he’d been fighting alongside a few weeks ago.

Theo opened the door and climbed back in, turning the power on, but not yet starting the engine. He looked at the dashboard behind the steering wheel with disappointment. Liam leaned over and craned his neck, he could see what it was. Even with the gas Theo’d just put in he was barely over a quarter tank. Theo had slumped back in the seat with his chin to his chest.

Liam was so close he couldn’t help but breathe in Theo’s scent. The chimera really did smell nice. Theo turned his head to look at him and Liam realized how silly he must look stretching against the seatbelt to look at the gas gauge. He slid back to his side of the truck, feeling awkward the whole time.

“Stargazing, huh?” Theo asked as he started the engine and drove out of the gas station.

“Yeah,” Liam wasn’t sure if he was being judged or not.

“Can’t say it’s what I expected.”

“What did you expect?”

“I have no clue, but not stargazing.” Theo’s eyes were focused on the road.

“Well, I already tried video games and movies.” Liam wondered if that sounded lame, “Wasn’t sure what else to do in the middle of the night.”

“You could go for a run.” Theo offered.

“Too much effort.”

“What about your other friends?”

Liam huffed, “I tried texting Mason. He still hasn’t gotten back to me.”

“What about your buddy Nolan?”

Liam wondered if Theo was fishing for something, “Today’s the first time we’ve hung out outside of school. Not exactly someone I can reach out to in the middle of the night.”

“Ok, then.” Theo smiled. Liam wondered if it was because of something he said.

The truck slowed down and Theo took them offroad. The only lights Liam could see were on the road they left. After a couple minutes of driving slowly through the field, Theo parked and cut the engine.

“Ground, bed, or front seat?” Theo asked.

“Um, what?” Liam had no idea what Theo was talking about.

“Where do you want to do the stargazing from?”

It took Liam a minute to realize what Theo meant by bed, “Is it comfortable back there?” He gestured towards the truck bed.

“I have a couple blankets I can put back there.”

“Do you mind?” Liam wasn’t sure why he felt nervous asking.

Instead of answering, Theo grabbed the blankets spread across the back seat pulling them into the front. He stepped out of the car with the bundle and headed to the back. Liam watched through the back window as Theo spread the blankets across the truck bed. The chimera hopped in the back and stared back at him.

“You coming?” Theo raised his eyebrows at him.

“Yeah, sorry.” 

Liam unbuckled himself and climbed out of the passenger seat. He made his way to the back of the truck, using the bumper to step up into the truck bed. Theo was already laying on his back, looking up at the sky. He did the same on the other half of the blankets. 

The weather was pretty nice. The air was cool, but not cold and the sky was clear. The occasional breeze would wash fresh air over them. Between breezes the only thing Liam could smell was Theo. As he stared up at the pinpricks of light spread across the sky he started to get frustrated when the breeze would pull Theo’s scent away.

“Heh,” Theo’s words had a small chuckle to them.

“What?” Liam turned to Theo. He could see the older boy’s eyes fixed on the sky.

“This was a good idea.” Theo took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

Liam turned back to the stars. Out here, away from the city light, there were so many more of them. He felt small looking at them. Just a small piece of a vast universe. He got lost in that thought for a while.

He looked over at Theo. The chimera’s eyes were closed and his breathing was slow and even. Liam listened to his heart rate, the slow and even thumps told him that Theo had fallen asleep. Liam had only ever seen him like this once before, so calm and peaceful. He’d interrupted it last time, and he wasn’t about to do that to Theo again.

He turned back to the stars for a bit, but kept finding himself drawn to watching Theo. He decided he was just jealous of how well he seemed to be sleeping. Liam slowly turned on his side, careful not to disturb Theo in the process. Using his arms as a pillow, he let himself drift off watching Theo’s chest rise and fall and listening to the soft thumps of the chimera’s heart.

* * *

Nolan started his day by straightening his room and making his bed. He went ahead and dug into the homework that would be due on Monday and after only about half an hour he’d finished it. Next, he tackled his chores for the day. When he finished scooping the litter box, taking out the trash, and doing the dishes he headed back up to his room.

He booted up his favorite fighting game and even though he was winning against his online opponents, it didn’t feel as good as trying to lose the night before. He’d had fun hanging out with Liam, who didn’t seem to mind how awkward he was. Nolan kept going back to the last thing he said that night, ‘see you at practice?’. He cringed every time he replayed it in his head and he replayed it a few times. Then he spent a few minutes running through the moment trying to think of something better to say, but everything he thought up sounded lame. He decided Liam was probably just lying to him when he said he’d had fun.

They worked well together on the lacrosse field, but Liam always seemed to be kind of distracted outside of practice and game nights. Nolan wasn’t entirely sure what got him to finally ask to hang out, but even if Liam lied about having fun, he’d still enjoyed having someone to spend time with.

The last real friend he’d had was Gabe, who was gone now. He still didn’t know how to feel about that. They’d been friends since middle school, but Gabe had started to change over the last couple of years.

Nolan shook himself away from those thoughts and pulled out his phone. He’d traded phone numbers with Liam a while back because of lacrosse. He scrolled the chat history, just check-ins and reminders about schedule changes for practice. He tried typing out a message about 20 times before he thought he might be ok sending something. He hovered over the send button for a while before just slamming it with his thumb and locking his phone.

He didn’t get a response right away, which was fine, it wasn’t even 8AM yet. Gabe used to make fun of him for waking up so early. One time he’d spent the night and Gabe had actually handcuffed him to the bed. Gabe thought it was funny and just kept telling him to go back to sleep, but he just lay there awake, thinking about all the things he could have been finishing.

He went back to gaming for a while, his rank only slightly improving. As the clock crept toward 9AM he started to wonder if maybe Liam had just ignored his message. He eventually convinced himself Liam probably wasn’t even awake yet.

A quick knock on his door let him know his mother was there, “Come in!” He shouted

His mother opened the door a little, leaning her head in, “Thanks for getting your chores done. You want some breakfast?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Nolan had a banana earlier.

“Ok,” She started to walk away before stopping herself, “Oh, how did it go yesterday?”

“Went fine,” Nolan felt like he was lying.

“Just make sure to remember the good things hun.” Her last words before walking away. She knew how wrapped up and anxious he could get.

Nolan nodded and took her advice. He knew Liam had actually had fun playing fighting games, he’d laughed and smiled a lot. He probably would smile if he knew most of his victories were hollow. No, positive thought Nolan. He’d liked Chicky Dee’s. Liam had even ordered the same thing. He didn’t say anything about the weird way he ate either. That was a lot of good now that he looked back on it.

Nolan jumped back into online play and spent the next couple hours or so raising his rank. All he could really think about was that he was looking forward to losing to Liam again. After a few more matches his phone vibrated in his pocket. He smiled when he pulled it out to see that Liam had responded

* * *

Theo woke up to the sun in the sky. The pretty hues of sunrise were already a thing of the past. Liam was still asleep next to him, though he’d apparently rolled towards him in his sleep. The little wolf had his nose buried in the blanket. Theo watched him sleep for a little bit, before pulling his phone out of his pocket to check the time. 10:13AM. He figured they’d probably gotten out to the field at around 3AM.

There were no nightmares last night. He took a deep breath of relief, instead of the morning air his nose filled with the scent of strawberries. He was starting to grow fond of the smell even if it was somewhat artificial. Theo wondered if Liam had somehow kept the nightmares away. After all, he’d pulled him out of one last night. Ultimately, Theo decided it must have been a coincidence.

“Hey, Liam.” Theo hoped that would be enough to wake him.

“Few more minutes...” Liam mumbled the words.

Theo sighed. He didn’t really have anywhere to go. He just needed to do laundry, and Beacon Hills had a twenty-four hour self serve laundromat so that wasn’t such a big deal. The gas station had been nice enough to give him five bucks back in quarters, which meant he was all set for that.

Liam whined in his sleep, shifting closer to Theo. The chimera froze when he felt Liam’s hand wrap around his forearm. The warmth of Liam’s palm leached into him. The last time someone touched him like that, Theo had used it as an opening to take their power. It had been such a cold matter of fact thing to do. Now, all he felt was guilt.

He’d earned every single moment of punishment he’d received in Hell. And He’d still be there now if it weren’t for the little wolf lying next to him. Liam had been the only one to give him a chance, to be willing to fight beside him. Theo couldn’t ever repay that favor.

Liam shifted again, pulling closer to Theo. Liam’s head now rested on his shoulder. Theo let his head roll to the left, every breath a swirl of strawberry and a bit of Liam’s natural musk. He closed his eyes. He’d never been close to someone like this.

Liam nuzzled his shoulder, “Mmmm... Hayden.”

Theo sat up quickly. Liam’s head slid off his shoulder and hit the truck bed with a bang even through the two layers of blanket. Theo was angry again.

“Time to go, Liam.” Theo hopped over the edge, feet landing firmly on the ground.

“Ow...” Liam was rubbing his head.

“Grab the blankets.” Theo ordered. He got into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut, watching Liam in his rearview mirror.

He looked like he might be a bit dizzy, but he was still able to find his way to solid ground. Liam tugged at the blankets balling them up in his arms. He shoved the blankets in the back seat before dragging himself into the passenger seat.

Theo started the engine and was pulling out of the field as Liam tried to buckle up, the bumping and shaking making it much more difficult. Liam finally clicked the belt shut as Theo pulled back onto the road. Theo wondered how he was the one who was always mad when Liam was the one with IED. What was going on with him?

* * *

Liam had finally managed to shake off the head wound. He wasn’t sure how it happened, he’d been having a dream about snuggling with Hayden before the pain hit him. He remembered that it felt nice, but that for some reason she smelled like Theo. He didn’t really know how to feel about it.

The whole inside of the truck smelled like Theo and his anger and frustration. This was probably going to be another quiet ride. Instead of looking out the window, Liam found himself watching Theo again. He wanted to do something nice for him. He’d wanted to do it last night, but Theo was peeling out of the gas station before he could mention it.

“Hey, can we stop at a gas station?” Liam asked.

“Fine.” Theo grumbled.

A handful of quiet minutes later and Theo was pulling into a gas station. There were a couple cars in the parking lot, but it definitely wasn’t busy. Liam was going to have to speak up to pull off his plan.

“Hey, can you park at the pumps? The sun’s in my eyes.” Liam acted like his head was still bothering him.

Theo glanced at him for a moment before swerving towards the pumps. “Whatever.” He parked at a pump in the middle of the covering.

Liam thought Theo sounded less mad and he hoped his plan would maybe even make him happy or at the very least just not mad. 

“I’ll go in, in a minute, I think I almost feel better.” Liam said.

Theo took off his seatbelt, “I’m gonna go to the bathroom. Don’t get stolen while I’m gone.”

As soon as Theo disappeared into the gas station Liam hopped out of the passenger seat and ran around to the driver’s side. He quickly popped the gas cover and screwed off the cap. At the machine he swiped his card and entered his PIN. As he pumped gas into Theo’s truck he was worried Theo would come back before he was done. Liam was relieved when the gas pump’s handle clicked. He stuffed it back in the holster and closed the cap and cover, before rushing back to the passenger seat to lean against the door.

Theo eventually came back from the gas station, still half scowling, “Your turn.”

“Ok,” Liam headed into the gas station.

He made his way to the bathroom first. It wasn’t the worst gas station bathroom he’d ever seen but it was definitely top ten. He used the urinal carefully, trying not to touch anything but himself. Liam looked at the sink weighing if washing his hands at it might actually make them dirtier and decided that was probably the case. He started to head straight back to Theo’s truck but stopped at one of the fridge cases. He snatched out two bottles of water. Then swung by the counter to pay for them.

He couldn’t help but smile to himself, even though his plan was costing him another forty dollars. He pulled himself back into the truck and held out one of the waters for Theo, who eyed him suspiciously for a moment before taking the bottle and chugging down half of it.

“Thanks,” Theo’s voice was less angry.

“No problem,” 

Liam clicked in his seat belt and took a couple gulps from his own water bottle. It felt good to get some water in his system. His mouth had been dry since he woke up. He leaned back in his seat and watched Theo as he started the car again. He got a stupid smile on his face as he waited for Theo to realize what he’d done. The chimera’s eyes suddenly focused on the dashboard.

“What did you do?” Theo’s eyes locked onto him.

“I got you some gas.” Liam was beaming even under Theo’s glare.

“Liam, I don’t need your handouts, ok?” Theo angrily shifted into gear.

“I just--” Liam’s brow furrowed, “I was trying to--” he was just feeling confused, “I wanted to do something nice.”

“I don’t need your pity Liam.” Theo sped out onto the road.

“It’s not pity,” Liam’s confusion had become audible.

“Then what is it?” Theo swerved lanes.

“I wanted to do something nice. Really. It was a ‘thank you’.” Liam’s face was getting hot for some reason.

“And what do you have to thank me for?”

“Last night, I--” Liam was trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

“You what?”

“I was alone and you came to get me.” A lump was forming in Liam’s throat and he was having a hard time talking. He could feel tears fighting him to get free. “I didn’t want to be alone.” The words were a mumble as Liam turned to look out the window before one of the tears streaked across his cheek.

Theo didn’t respond, but Liam could feel his driving calm down. After a few swallows, Liam choked back the sad feeling that had welled up. He wiped away the evidence of the tear and tried to consciously calm his breathing. Why was he so emotional over something so trivial?

His phone vibrated. He pulled it out and saw he had a couple texts. One he’d just gotten from his parents telling him they were going to be sleeping through the day and to try and be quiet when he came home. The other had been sent by Nolan a while ago.

_ Are you free to hang Sunday? _

Liam kind of laughed and shook his head. He set the phone back down without answering either text. He could see Theo glancing over to check on him as he drove. Eventually they were back in Liam’s driveway. He unhooked his belt and started to get out of the car.

“Liam,” Theo’s voice was a little shaky.

Liam stopped climbing out of his seat, “Yeah?” His own voice was still shaky too.

“I’m,” The looked up like he was trying to find the rest of his words, “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok--”

“No, it’s not. I shouldn’t have reacted like that.” Theo twisted his grip on the steering wheel, “I’m going to keep my promise. You can count on that, ok? You can count on me.”

Liam could smell the guilt pouring off of Theo. He didn’t like it. He also didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded. Theo’s voice stopped him again as he tried to close the door.

“See you Sunday night.”

“Sunday night?”

“Full moon.”

“Oh, right.” Liam was terrible at keeping track.

“So, I’ll see you Sunday night?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Liam closed the door of the truck. He watched as Theo pulled out of the driveway and drove off into the distance. He pulled out his phone and sat down on the cold concrete. He looked at Nolan’s message again. He thought about the quiet house behind him. He backed out of the message and his heart sunk a little, Mason still hadn’t texted him back. He reopened Nolan’s text and responded.

_ Can’t do Sunday. Are you free today? _

As soon as Liam sent the message the three dots popped up telling him Nolan was typing. He watched them dance for a moment. Hoping for a yes.

_ I’m free. When do you want to meet up? _

Liam knew it was short notice, but decided to try anyways.

_ Now? _

Nolan didn’t seem to mind.

_ Yeah, be there in 20. :D _

Liam wondered if he had enough time to shower. He sniffed at himself. He didn’t stink but he might start to by the end of the day. Another sniff. He didn’t know if a human would notice, but he still had Theo’s scent all over him. Between the time spent in the truck and sleeping on his blankets Liam wasn’t surprised.

He closed his eyes and slowly inhaled the smell. There was something oddly comforting about it. As if, just by being able to smell him, Theo was there. That he wasn’t alone. He decided against the shower.

He buried his head in his arms until Nolan arrived. He wondered where Theo had gone, debating on whether he should text him or not. He decided to wait. Liam felt like Nolan arrived in less than the twenty minutes, but that was fine by him. He got to his feet and waved, hopping into the car.

\----------------------------

Nolan was surprised when Liam got into his car. He’d just assumed they’d hang out at Liam’s again. His shock must have been obvious because Liam was looking at him kind of funny. He turned away for a moment trying to will himself to look normal. He thought it worked.

“So, uh, what, uh, do you want to do?” Nolan couldn’t seem to make eye contact.

“I’m cool with whatever.” Liam shrugged

Nolan tried to go through possibilities. They could go get something to eat again. Nolan could take him back to his house. In an hour or two they could go to the arcade. They could walk around downtown. Nolan realized he’d been thinking too long when Liam spoke again.

“Really, doesn’t matter. Just anywhere but here.”

“Yeah, ok.” Nolan nodded as he spoke.

He shifted into reverse and pulled out of Liam’s driveway. As he glanced past Liam to make sure the road was clear he realized how disheveled he looked. Actually, those were the same clothes he was wearing yesterday too. Nolan wanted to ask him about it, but realized that would probably be rude.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, sure.” Liam sounded kind of distant.

“Ok.”   
Nolan wanted breakfast, but didn’t have any idea what Liam might want. He could think of one place in particular that offered a lot of options. He would have asked Liam if it was alright, but it didn’t look like he really wanted to answer questions right now. So, he drove them to the diner. When he was parking Liam was sort of staring up at the building with a look that made Nolan think he’d made a mistake.

“Is this ok?” Nolan asked sheepishly.

“What? Oh. Yeah. It’s fine.”

Nolan got out of the car and watched as Liam sluggishly crawled out of the passenger side. Once both their doors were shut he used his keychain to lock them. He skipped ahead a little so he could open the door. He realized Liam wasn’t in any rush.

There were only a few people inside the diner, a couple booths were taken and there was a man at the counter. A waitress approached them. She was an older woman with graying hair and dark bags under her eyes. Nolan greeted her with a nod, but her eyes seemed to be on Liam.

“Hey, welcome back hun!” The waitress sounded more energetic than she looked.

“Thanks ma’am.” Liam half-smiled.

“Don’t you dare. You call me Jane, got it?” She sounded offended, but still grinned at them.

“Thanks Jane.” Liam tried again.

“That’s better. Let me get ya’ll a booth.” 

Jane led them to a booth in the corner of the diner away from the other patrons. Liam took the side that was against the wall and Nolan slid in across from him. There were menus and silverware already waiting for them.

“Already know what you want to drink?” Jane asked, pad at the ready.

“Um, orange juice.” Nolan sounded a little nervous.

“Just water for me, please.”

“Alright, I’ll have that for you in just a minute.” Jane smiled.

Nolan thought he saw Jane wink at Liam as she left. He felt less self-conscious about choosing the diner since it seemed like Liam already came here. He wondered how many times Liam must have been here before to be on such good terms with the waitress. Nolan scanned the breakfast offerings and decided to get something he couldn’t already make at home. He set his menu down and watched Liam looking over his own. A figure stood over them. Jane had returned and was already placing their glasses in front of them.

“We ready to order?” Jane looked back and forth between them as she asked.

Liam spoke first, “If I get a cheeseburger, can I have onion rings instead of fries?”

“Sure can, hun.”

“I’ll do that then.”

“How do you want that cooked?”

“Medium, please.”

“Alright,” Jane finished scribbling in her pad before turning to Nolan, “And what can we getcha?”

“Um,” He always seemed to forget what he wanted right when he was asked. Thankfully he remembered at the last second, “Oh, yeah. A belgian waffle. With strawberries.” Nolan grinned. More because he was relieved he’d remembered than to be polite.

“Belgian. With. Strawberries. Got it.” She gave a last tap on the notepad with her pen, “I’ll get these right in for you.”

As the waitress left them alone again, Liam let his menu fall to the table. Nolan scooped up both of their menus and tucked them back into their holder, tapping the edges and making sure they were centered. Liam was looking out the window, eyes on the sky.

“So, I guess you come here a lot?” Nolan asked cautiously.

Liam slowly pulled his attention away from the window, “No, not really.”

“Oh, I just thought... The waitress seemed like she knew you.”

“Yeah.” Liam nodded.

“Ok.”

Nolan was still feeling rather nervous. It felt like Liam was in another world and that wasn’t really helping. Liam had gone back to looking out of the window. Nolan looked him over from his side of the booth. The wrinkled shirt was definitely the same one he was wearing last night. Liam’s hair looked like it did after lacrosse practice. The long strands clumping together in places, some of it bunched up a bit at the top of his head. One of the small clumps hung down over one of Liam’s eyes. Nolan wanted to push it aside, but he knew that wouldn’t go over so well right now.

“What do you want to do after this?” Nolan tried to start a conversation.

Liam shrugged again, “Whatever you want to do is fine.”

Nolan was starting to wonder why Liam wanted to hang out with him. He didn’t really seem like he actually wanted to be here. Nolan thought of his mother’s advice and reminded himself that Liam was the one to suggest they hang out today.

“We could go to my place and play some games?” Nolan offered.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Liam turned back to Nolan as he spoke.

“How long did you want to hang out?”

Liam had clearly not been expecting this question, “Oh. However long.”

“Ok.” Nolan smiled.

Jane had come back with their food. Nolan moved his juice so it was out of her way. She looked at the food and then back to them before starting to set it on the table.

“Ok, so, Belgian waffle.” She started to set it down in front of Liam.

“Um, actually, that’s mine.” Nolan raised his hand a little.

“Oh, yep. You’re right hun. Sorry.” She moved it over to Nolan’s side of the booth, “And cheeseburger with onion rings.” She reached around Liam’s water to set down the small red basket. “Can I get you boys anything else?”

“Can I get a side of ranch?” Liam asked.

“Sure thing. You need anything, hun?” Jane was looking at Nolan.

“No, I’m good.”

“Be right back with that ranch.”

Nolan started to cut a piece out of his waffle while Jane left. He was careful to make sure he got complete pockets and didn’t cut into the middle of them. Satisfied with what he extracted, he used his knife to push a piece of strawberry and a little whipped cream onto the bite. He savored the bite, watching as Liam picked up his burger. As he lifted it up a little bit of grease dripped back down into the basket.

Jane was true to her word and was already dropping off the ranch for Liam. She was quick to leave though, considering she was hauling another full tray of food for one of the other tables. Nolan continued to carefully cut out only full squares for his bites, distributing the strawberries and whipped cream as evenly as he could. Liam was halfway through his burger before he even touched the onion rings. As Nolan watched him dip one into the ranch he figured he’d to kick start the conversation again.

“So, what’s your favorite movie?”

“Um,” Liam stared at the onion ring like it might tell him the answer, “I really liked Guardians of the Galaxy 2”

“Cool, I love Marvel movies.”

“What’s your favorite?”

“Spider-Man,” Nolan realized that needed some clarifying, “Uh, Homecoming.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen that one.”

“Wow, really? I might have to make you watch it.” Nolan wondered if what he said was too aggressive right after the words left his mouth.

“Looks like we’ll have plenty of time.” Liam finally took a bit of the onion ring.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Nolan couldn’t help but smile again. 

Nolan started asking Liam about what movies he had and hadn’t seen. The conversation still wasn’t over when they’d finished their food. Janet came back by and took their empty plate and basket.

“Together or separate?” The waitress asked.

“Together.” Nolan said.

“Separate.” Liam said at the same time.

“Together.” Nolan insisted.

“I can pay for myself.”

“I picked here. It’s not a big deal.” Nolan tried to assure him.

“So, together then?” She looked between them.

“Yes.” Nolan nodded.

Jane slid the bill onto the table. Nolan pulled out his wallet as she left with their dirty dishes. He slipped enough cash into the little black folder to leave a generous tip. Folding it back up and placing it near his corner of the table, making sure the edges of both were parallel. Liam watched him with an expression that looked a little guilty.

“It’s ok. Really.”

“Are you sure? I could leave the tip or something at least.”

“No, you’re fine. It’s the least I can do.”

Nolan noticed the weird look Liam gave him when he said that. Honestly, Nolan just appreciated having a friend right now, so paying for food was nothing. Besides, he usually paid when he and Gabe hung out, so it wasn’t like it was anything new for him.

“Ready?” Nolan gestured behind him to the exit.

“Yeah.”

Nolan resisted the urge to reach out and move some of Liam’s hair again. They got up out of the booth and headed back to Nolan’s car. He was glad he could pick up their conversation where they’d left it in the diner. Having someone to talk to made the ride feel a lot quicker.

* * *

Theo watched the clothes tumble in the dryer. The timer still had about twenty minutes left. He picked up his phone and stared at the lock screen. He kept hoping Liam would text him. As weird and moody as Theo’d been, he actually liked spending time with Liam. It was kind of nice to be around each other without some major threat bearing down on them.

He unlocked the phone and opened his camera roll. He wasn’t sure why he’d done it, but after he’d checked the time that morning he snapped a picture of Liam, face buried in the blanket and hair a mess. He told himself it was blackmail material. Yet, he knew that wasn’t entirely true.

He looked out the front of the laundromat towards his truck. He knew he needed to wash the blankets that were still bundled up in the back seat, but he couldn’t afford to wash both them and his clothes and the clothes were definitely the priority. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about gas or food for the next couple of days.

He was going to have to swing by the gym after he was done here. He’d probably work out a bit, but more importantly he’d take a shower. He was glad he’d seen that bit of advice online. The membership was a really cheap way to have consistent access to a shower.

He looked back down at his phone, the picture of Liam still on the screen. He was still trying not to be mad at him, but Liam didn’t make it easy. He’d watched him drop what must have been sixty or seventy dollars in a day like it was nothing. And that big house he was able to go home to. Theo clenched a fist. Liam had no idea how easy he had it.

Theo played with the photo editor for a bit. He tried out different filters and added some captions before removing them again. He wouldn’t admit it was an excuse to look at the pic a little longer. The buzzer for the dryer was the only reason he stopped and put his phone away.

He checked the clothes and they were definitely dry. He wheeled one of the provided baskets over and loaded it up before taking it all to a table and folding everything. He tucked the folded piles into his duffel bag and hefted it onto his shoulder. Once he was back in his truck, tossed the bag into the back seat. He left the laundromat and headed for the gym. He decided he was definitely going to get some exercise in. Hopefully he could work off some of this anger that kept bubbling up.

* * *

Nolan had texted ahead to let his parents know that he was having a friend over. His mother assured him that she’d keep herself and his father out of his way, but that she’d love to meet his friend if he was ok with it. He’d responded with a ‘maybe later’. The last thing he needed was his parents scaring Liam away.

Nolan pulled into his driveway and parked. Liam followed him into the house and true to their word his parents didn’t bother them on their way up to his room. He opened the door and walked in excited to show Liam his complete collection of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When he turned around, Liam had stopped in the doorway, looking around at everything.

“It’s... so clean.” Liam almost whispered.

“Oh, uh,” Nolan wasn’t sure if that might be a bad thing, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Now I feel bad for making you spend time in my room.” Liam’s eyebrows were raised.

“It was fine.” Nolan lied.

He’d had to resist the urge to straighten up Liam’s room. At one point Liam had gone to the bathroom and debated how weird it would be if he made his bed. He knew it would be weird, but he just wasn’t sure how weird. Thankfully, Liam had come back before he could make a fool of himself.

Liam sat on the foot of the bed across from the TV. He picked up the remote off the bed and turned it back on. Nolan grabbed his controllers and sat down next Liam.

“How?” Liam was staring at the screen, “How are you diamond?”

Nolan followed his eyes to the screen where his ranked profile was on display. He’d been so quick to leave when Liam texted him back he’d forgotten to shut his system off. He couldn’t figure out what to say.

“I tried ranked and couldn’t get out of silver...” Liam sounded shocked.

“I’m really lucky?”

“You-” Liam turned to Nolan, “You let me win!”

“I, uh,” Nolan was going to have to fess up, “maybe.”

“You jerk!”

Liam shoved him. Nolan thought he was mad until he realized Liam was actually laughing. He started to nervously chuckle along with him. He rubbed the spot where Liam had pushed him, wondering if it would bruise.

“Ok, I’m definitely not playing against you again.” Liam’s words disappointed Nolan, “but I absolutely wanna see you play online.”

Nolan turned on his controller and got in queue. He was nervous with Liam watching and fumbled a couple combos, but still managed to pull out a win. Liam watched him play for the next couple hours. The last time someone did that, it was Gabe. Gabe made sure to point out his mistakes and ridicule him every time he lost. Liam was different. He cheered on Nolan’s good matches, celebrated his victories, and encouraged him to continue when he lost. Nolan was happy to play as long as Liam wanted him to.

* * *

Theo wrapped the towel around his waist after drying off. He found the locker he’d picked out while doing his best to ignore anyone else who might be in the room. He changed into some of his freshly cleaned clothes and let out a heavy sigh. It had been a couple days since he’d had a shower and it felt nice to actually be clean.

He sat on the bench and pulled out his phone. Still no notifications from Liam. Well, he knew he was going to see him tomorrow, at least. He opened the free almanac he’d downloaded to track the phases of the moon. He waited while the ads ran their course before he could actually access it.

He wasn’t really sure what they were going to do tomorrow. He knew he needed to find a way to secure Liam for the full moon, but he didn’t have a lot of options. His truck was definitely not going to work. He already had a mental picture of the broken glass sprinkled on the ground where Liam broke a window trying to get out.

Maybe the sewer? There were a few chambers down there that might work, but securing them was going to be an issue. Especially if it was Liam. He knew chains were no match for his strength. Theo had destroyed the one the Dread Doctors had used, so that was out.

Maybe Liam already had something set up by Scott. He hoped the alpha had that kind of forethought, but sometimes Scott was just an idiot. Liam didn’t seem that worried about it, so maybe he already had a plan.

As far as he was concerned, Theo had one job during this full moon. He needed to keep Liam’s eyes gold. If Liam ever hurt an innocent, Scott would never forgive him. Hell, he’d never forgive himself.

He wondered what Liam was doing right now. Probably eating a nice meal or taking a nap in an actual bed. Both were things Theo wished he could go do right now. He’d eaten half of the breakfast sandwich before he came in to work out, saving the other half for tomorrow. If his stomach bothered him, he’d have one of the pancakes tonight. He wasn’t sure what he would do when that stash ran out.

He was going to have to find somewhere to park for the night too. He wasn’t looking forward to that at all. Beacon Hills’ deputies were all too eager to run him off whenever they found his truck. He very briefly considered asking Liam if he could park in his driveway before dismissing it. There was no way his parents would be ok with letting some homeless guy keep his truck in their driveway. The last thing he needed was Liam’s parents driving him off.

He looked back down and the app had finally run all of its ads. He swiped to tomorrow and sure enough, it was a full moon. There were some additional notes about the lunar cycle, so he tapped them to see what was going on with that. When he did, there were two words that immediately caught his attention.

‘Perigee syzygy’

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's checked out the story so far.
> 
> I hope you're having as good of a time reading it as I am writing it. :)


	3. The Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said Saturday, but I couldn't wait. X.x Sorry.
> 
> Maybe a posting schedule isn't for me and I'll just keep dropping chapters within a few days of each other.
> 
> I guess we'll find out.

After having watched Nolan play against people online for a while, Liam asked if he wanted to watch one of the movies he’d mentioned earlier. Liam was having a pretty good time. He hadn’t thought about anything but video games and movies for the past few hours.

Nolan popped a movie in and rejoined him on the bed. He grabbed a couple pillows and put them up against the headboard so he could use them as a head rest. Nolan propped up the other two pillows and gestured to the spot for Liam. It actually looked pretty comfortable, so Liam went ahead and accepted the invitation taking the spot next to Nolan. He hadn’t realized how long he’d been sitting up. Being able to lean back felt really nice. Liam let out a contented sigh.

“Everything ok?” Nolan asked. Liam had a hard time reading him, he always seemed anxious or nervous.

“Yeah, so what are we watching?” 

“I had a real hard time deciding, but I figured since you said you’d seen Thor and the Guardians movies we could watch Ragnarok.”

Liam was barely following Nolan’s logic, but he had let him ramble on about the Marvel films because he just seemed so excited by them. Liam liked the movies, but he didn’t give them nearly as much thought as Nolan did. There were a lot of things about the movie that confused Liam as they watched, but Nolan was more than happy to explain. Even with all of Liam’s questions and the constant stop and start of Nolan pausing whenever he answered one it was actually a pretty good film. Liam mostly liked all the fight scenes.

As Nolan picked out another movie, Liam realized it must have taken them an extra hour to watch the last one, because it was already most of the way through the afternoon. As Nolan started ‘Black Panther’ there was a light knock on the door. Nolan paused the movie.

“That’s probably my mom. She probably wants to meet you,” Nolan had that nervous look again, “if that’s ok.”

“Yeah, sure.” Liam shrugged.

Nolan got up and opened the door. A woman in her early forties stood on the other side. She had that same sort of honey brown hair that Nolan did and she was wearing jeans and a plain blouse. Liam moved so he was sitting at the edge of the bed facing the door.

“Sorry to interrupt,” She glanced over Nolan’s shoulder at Liam.

“You’re fine, Mom.”

“Well, I figured you two might be hungry, so I wanted to let you know that I ordered some pizza. I hope you boys don’t mind pepperoni.” Nolan’s mother looked between both Liam and Nolan.

Liam realized they were both waiting on him to respond, “Yeah, I like pepperoni.”

She smiled, “Well, it should be here soon. You want me to bring it up for you?”

“If you don’t mind,” Nolan answered.

“I don’t.” She turned to Liam, “You’re Liam, right? You co-captain with Nolan?”

“Yes, ma’am.” he nodded.

“Ouch,” She jokingly acted like the words hurt, “Please. Call me Liz.”

“Sorry,” Liam chuckled, “but, yeah. I’m the other co-captain.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you Liam.”

“Nice to meet you too ma--, Liz.” Liam corrected himself at the last second.

“Alright, I’ll leave you two to it th--” The sound of the doorbell interrupted her, “Guess I’ll be right back.”

She went back downstairs. Liam could hear her greeting the pizza delivery girl. A few moments later, she came back up and gave one of the pizza boxes to Nolan. He shut the door and brought it over to the bed.

“Sorry about that.” Nolan apologized as he picked out one of the slices.

“She seems nice.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

She really did though. Liam knew an exchange like that, pizza and all, would never happen with his own parents. They were always so busy lately. He wanted to say he was surprised they hadn’t texted him, but that just seemed like par for the course these days. Whether Nolan knew it or not, he was lucky to have a mom that cared about him.

After nibbling through a couple slices Liam decided it would probably be a good idea to text his parents even if they hadn’t texted him. When he pulled out his phone he had several notifications. He must have accidentally set it to silent again.

Huh, his parents had actually sent a text.

\--I guess you’re out with friends again. Really wish you’d let us know beforehand. Be safe.

Then Mason.

\--Hey, dude. Sorry. Phone died. You alright?

And, surprisingly, one from Theo.

\--Call me when you get this. It’s important.

Liam tapped out a quick response to his parents letting them know he’d probably be out for the rest of the weekend. For Mason he sent a message telling him not to worry about it. He wished he believed the dead phone story, but he’d never seen Mason’s phone at less than fifty percent. He wondered what Theo could possibly need him to call for. He was going to see him tomorrow, but it was probably best to go ahead and check.

“Everything ok?” Nolan curiously watched Liam handling his phone.

“Oh, yeah. It’s fine.”

“Cool. Did you still want to watch Black Panther?”

“Yeah, I just,” Liam looked around the room trying to figure out how he could do this privately, “need to make a call.”

Nolan put his second crust back in the box, “I’ve gotta use the restroom anyway. I’ll be back in a bit.”

As Nolan slipped out into the hallway, Liam stared at the text message. He tapped the option to start a call. The phone barely got to ring before Theo answered.

“What took you so long?” Theo sounded grumpy.

“I accidentally set my phone to silent. What’s going on?”

“It’s a supermoon.”

“What?”

“Tomorrow night, it’s a supermoon.”

“Are you sure?”

“Am I sure? No, of course not. Yes, Liam, I’m sure.” Theo was definitely grumpy.

Liam could feel his heart rate rising, “What am I supposed to do?”

“Where are you?”

“I’m at Nolan’s.”

“Oh,” Theo paused, “Well, you’re going to start feeling the effects of it tonight. We need to find somewhere safe for you to be. I can come get you.”

“Yeah, ok. I’ll text you the address.” Nolan came back into the room, “Sorry, I gotta go.” Liam hung up.

“Something wrong?” Nolan looked worried.

“Something’s come up,” Liam flicked back to the text with Theo, “Can I have your address?”

“Uh, sure,” Nolan sat back down on the bed, “137 Maple Grove Trail”

Liam quickly tapped it out and sent it to Theo, “A friend’s gonna pick me up.”

“Is this, uh, werewolf stuff?”

“Yeah.”

Liam’s phone blinked with a message from Theo.

\--GPS says 12 minutes.

“Should I be worried?”

Liam shook his head, “Nah, just something I need to take care of.” 

“Ok.”

Nolan got up off the bed and stepped over to Liam. It looked like he was trying to decide something. Liam fought back a partial shift as his instinct told him he was being attacked, before he realized it was just a hug that Nolan had suddenly wrapped him up in. It was only one quick squeeze before Nolan stepped back away from him.

“Thanks for hanging out again.” Nolan’s eyes darted around.

Liam put a hand on Nolan’s shoulder, “Thanks for having me. Really.”

Liam saw the blush spread behind Nolan’s freckles, “I, uh, just let me know when you wanna hang again.”

“I will, but it’s going to be at least a couple days.”

“Werewolf stuff?”

“Werewolf stuff.” Liam confirmed, “I’m gonna wait outside, ok?”

“Ok,” Nolan's voice was quiet, “Be safe.”

“That’s the idea.” Liam gave Nolan’s shoulder a squeeze before heading downstairs and out the door.

He looked at his phone. Who exactly was he going to call? Mason and Corey had helped him with the last full moon. He’d spent it chasing Corey around Beacon Hills Preserve, but he didn’t think Corey could outrun him during a Supermoon. Scott was his alpha, but how was Liam supposed to prove that he could protect Beacon Hills if he couldn’t figure out how to handle himself. He needed to find his own way to make it through this.

He paced at the end of Nolan’s driveway. He thought back to the last supermoon. He didn’t like any of those memories. He had almost killed Scott. Over Hayden no less. He’d loved her enough to kill his alpha and she left him. Then there was Theo and how he’d manipulated all of them. It all proved one thing though, people change. Since then, Hayden had fallen out of love with him and Theo had proven he cared. That he wasn’t a monster anymore. 

As he watched Theo’s truck approach, there was something from that night that gave him an idea. He had a plan. It wasn’t a good plan, but it was something at least.

* * *

Theo stared at Liam in disbelief. He had to be kidding. Liam had some terrible plans in the past, but this one was probably the worst.

“I’m not going to poison you.” Theo stared at him. Why did Liam insist on making him angry?

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Well, no,” Theo huffed, “but there has to be one.”

“When you figure out what that is, we’ll do it. Until then, we do my plan.”

“I want it to be clear that I am completely against this.”

“It’s clear.” Liam crossed his arms and sunk into the passenger seat.

“You can’t possibly be mad that I don’t want to dose you with wolfsbane.” Theo was trying to keep his eyes on the road, but he’d noticed Liam sulking.

Liam didn’t answer him and just looked out the passenger window. Theo could smell him from the driver’s seat. Liam’s musk was overpowering the light scent of strawberries that he’d started to grow fond of. Liam didn’t stink or anything, at least not to Theo, but he could tell that he hadn’t showered in a while.

“Where are you taking us anyway?” Liam grumbled.

“To your house.”

“What? No!”

“You’re not going to be able to go back until at least Monday night, at the earliest.”

“So?”

“So,” Theo emphasized the word, “you don’t want to take a shower and get some clothes for the next couple days?”

“Not really.”

“So, how exactly are you planning to handle that? I’m definitely not spending the next two days with you if you’re planning to rot in the same clothes you’ve already been wearing for the last two days.

“Can’t I just shower at your place?” 

“No.”

“What, why not?”

Because you’re already sitting in it?! Theo absolutely did not want to tell him the truth. He’d meant what he said before about not wanting anyone’s pity. He was going to have to come up with an excuse.

“They’re remodeling it. I can’t even sleep there right now.” It was almost the truth. His old house was in the process of being demolished.

He could tell by the look on Liam’s face he didn’t believe him, “Then where did you take a shower today?”

“At the gym. And lucky you, I’m allowed to bring a guest. You still don’t have clothes though.”

“I’ll just borrow yours.”

Theo took a deep breath. Liam must have been put on this earth just to torment him. He didn’t exactly have a lot of clothes to spare. He emptied his lungs in a long drawn out sigh.

“Why, yes Liam. You can borrow some clothes. Especially since you asked so nicely.” Theo rolled his eyes.

“Can I borrow some clothes?” Liam still sounded grumpy, “Please?”

“See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

The two of them sat in silence for a little while. Liam was back to staring out the window and Theo was trying to figure out what he was going to do if Liam’s stupid plan went the worst way possible. Theo had started drumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

“So, where are we going now?” Liam asked.

“To the gym. We’re getting you in a shower before you're too sick to take one on your own.”

They were already pretty close, so the next chunk of silence didn’t last for very long. Once he’d parked outside the gym, Theo picked through his duffel bag for a set of clothes that wouldn’t be too baggy on Liam.

Inside, the trainer at the desk made Liam sign some liability forms before they could head back to the locker room. Theo waited by the locker while Liam took his shower, glaring back at anyone giving him an awkward look for standing around in the locker room fully clothed. Liam didn’t take long, the little wolf returned with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Theo admired Liam’s muscles. Lacrosse must have been keeping him in even better shape than simply being a werewolf did. He leaned against the locker behind Liam’s, pretending not to care. His eyes kept finding their way back to Liam, following each piece of clothing as they slid over his skin.

Liam bundled up his dirty clothes and they headed out. They snuck past the trainers to avoid Liam being harassed into getting his own membership. Liam tossed his ball of clothes on the floor behind the seats once they made it back to the truck.

“Yes, Dunbar, the world is your hamper.”

Liam just rolled his eyes as Theo got them on their way to the next stop. He still couldn’t believe he was going to go steal some wolfsbane. He really didn’t like this plan and he’d been trying to think of an alternative. Unfortunately, he’d already destroyed the Dread Doctors’ stash of black wolfsbane when he destroyed their lab. Outside of that, nothing came to mind.

Theo pulled around to the back of Deaton’s animal clinic. He’d broken in before and the mountain ash wasn’t going to keep him out. He looked at Liam who’d been considerably less grumpy after the shower.

“You’re absolutely sure you want to do this?” Theo’s disapproval was obvious.

“Yeah. Keeping Beacon Hills safe includes keeping it safe from me.”

Theo stepped out of his truck. He’d popped the lock on the back door in less than two minutes. His enhanced sense of smell guided him to Deaton’s stash of herbs. He found the container of purple wolfsbane and opted to just take the whole thing. He figured Liam could explain after they were done keeping him on the brink of death. As he turned around he realized he wasn’t alone.

“And what exactly are you planning to do with that?” Deaton’s tone was not friendly.

“It’s for Liam.”

“You can see how that doesn’t make me feel better, right?”

“He wants to use it to weaken himself during this Supermoon.”

“That’s,” Deaton seemed to consider the idea for a moment, “actually not a bad idea.”

“You’re kidding me right? It’s a terrible idea.” Theo couldn’t believe it.

“It’s a terrible idea if you don’t know how to prepare it. We both know you’re fully aware of how to dose someone with wolfsbane.”

“Using it on Scott was different. He was a true alpha, he could put up with a lot more than his beta.”

“Then I guess you better accept my help.”

* * *

Liam stared at the back of the animal clinic, considering the ridiculousness of his situation. He was trusting someone who had once betrayed his pack to poison him without killing him. The fact that Theo didn’t want to do it helped make him feel better about it. He was putting his life in the chimera’s hands and he was oddly at peace with that. Liam had been waiting for almost 20 minutes before Theo came back empty handed.

Liam rolled his window down, “What’s wrong?” Liam started looking around the alleyway.

“It’s just going to take a little while longer.”

“Why?”

“Deaton was home. He’s setting up some doses for us.”

“Crap.” He’d hoped they could get the wolfsbane without any unwanted attention.

“I already made him promise not to tell Scott.” Theo grinned as he leaned against Liam’s door.

“Oh, ok.” Liam felt embarrassed. Unsure if it was because he was avoiding his alpha or because Theo had already assumed he wanted to. “Thanks.”

“No problem, little wolf.” Theo winked at him.

Liam felt like he should be mad, but there was something about the way Theo said the nickname that made him smile. They looked at each other for only a few seconds, but it felt like longer. Liam found Theo’s shark blue eyes reassuring. He could see a protective gleam in them, a gleam that he knew was meant for him.

“I’m just gonna go make sure he doesn’t need any help.” 

Theo pushed off the truck and slipped back into the clinic. Liam stared at the back door the chimera re-entered through, thinking about Theo’s eyes as he rolled his window back up. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he might have heard a little waiver of nervousness in Theo’s voice. 

Honestly, he was surprised at just how much Theo was putting up with. He knew he was being a little brat. He should have let Theo take him home to shower and get clothes, but he just didn’t want to see his parents right now. Maybe if he was gone for a while they’d notice.

Liam wriggled in the seat. Theo’s clothes were kind of baggy on him. They weren’t uncomfortable, but they made him feel smaller than he was. And even though he knew they were clean, behind the smell of the detergent they held onto Theo’s scent. Liam leaned his head to left, nose pressed against his own shoulder and breathed in deep. Why did he find Theo’s scent so comforting? Why did he want to stare into the chimera’s eyes? He shook the questions away. He didn’t want to try to answer them.

Theo came out of the animal clinic and climbed into the driver’s seat again. He handed a small glass jar to Liam. It was filled with pills that contained a transparent purple liquid. He knew what they were.

“He told me you should take one every four hours, two the afternoon before, night of, and morning after the supermoon. No more, no less.”

Liam had pulled one out and was holding it up to his eye, looking through it, “Seems like such a small amount.”

“That’s the idea. We want you to live, remember?”

“I remember.”

Liam put the pill back in the jar and closed the lid. He opened the glove compartment and put it in with the foil wrapped pancakes and what looked like half of the breakfast sandwich from the night before wrapped up beside them. He wondered why Theo still had them.

“Alright, now we need to find somewhere to park.” Theo said as he kicked on the engine.

They fought for a bit about what radio station to have on as Theo hunted for somewhere to stay for the night. Liam turned it to the local top forty and Theo switched it to rock. Liam kept trying to catch Theo off guard to change it back, but every time he’d reach towards the radio Theo would slap the shit out of his hand. After a particularly hard one, Liam thought one of his fingers might have broken.

“Try it again and I really will break your hand. Driver picks the music.”

“Jesus, ok.” Liam rubbed his injured hand trying to encourage it to heal faster.

“We’re probably going to need to eat, but all I have are the leftovers from last night.”

“I noticed.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Not really,” Liam flexed his hand, the pain finally gone, “I had some pizza right before you picked me up.”

“Alright, one less thing to worry about.”

Theo turned off onto a small road. Liam saw there were a couple houses, but they were pretty spread out. Theo slowed down and Liam could see him scanning the sides of the road. Theo seemed to find what he was looking for and pulled off the road, carefully slipping between some trees before parking. Liam watched as Theo cut the engine and leaned back in his seat.

The cabin was lit by the fading remnants of sunset, a soft purple that would soon leave them with darkness. Liam twisted in the seat, turning to face Theo. He watched as the chimera tried to will himself to relax. Liam could feel his wolf getting agitated. The pull of the Supermoon was starting.

“When do I start taking them?” Liam nodded to the glove box.

“Deaton said you’d know.”

“That’s specific.”

Theo shrugged, “Well, that’s what he said.” Theo unbuckled his seatbelt.

Liam followed suit. The extra bit of freedom felt nice. He tugged at the baggy clothes he was wearing, straightening out the wrinkles.

“So, what do we do now?” Liam was watching the very last bit of light fade through the trees.

“Well, we could try to sleep.” Theo turned to him, “Or we try to figure out how tomorrow is going to work.”

“I’m not tired.”

“Considering you woke up less than 10 hours ago, I’m not surprised.”

“We could play a game.” Liam felt for the phone in his pocket.

“Maybe.”

“I’ve got a couple things on my ph--”

“The service out here is pretty bad. I imagine the download speeds are worse.”

“Ok,” Liam tried to think of something they could play that didn’t need any supplies at all, “We could play ‘Would You Rather’.”

“What’s that?” Liam could just make out the scrunched eyebrows that accompanied the question.”

“It’s pretty simple. You give two different scenarios and the other person has to pick which one they’d prefer.”

“Sure, why not.”

“Ok, I’ll go first.” Liam tried to think of something to start off with, “Alright. Would you rather spend a day with Stiles or his dad?”

“Easy. The Sheriff.” Theo squinted through the dark at Liam, “I’m supposed to ask one now?”

“Not yet, it’s more fun if you explain your choice.”

“Fine. I have less baggage with the Sheriff than I do with Stiles.”

Liam thought it was just a silly question. He hadn’t considered he was drumming up Theo’s past. He really hadn’t meant to remind him about what Liam had decided to call ‘Pre-Hell Theo’. Liam had decided that anything that had happened before he used the sword to bring him back wasn’t even the same person. He was going to have to be more careful with his questions.

* * *

Theo wasn’t sure how he felt about this game, but he was ready to play it. Liam hadn’t really mentioned a way to win, but Theo was sure he could manage. The little bit of light from the moon and stars that could break through the leaves was all they had to play by. Theo looked at the little wolf and devised what he thought was a good question, if Liam’s was anything to judge by.

“Would you rather have only Mason or only Hayden in your life?”

Theo saw a frown on Liam’s face, “Neither”

“What? I thought that was easy. Isn’t Mason your best friend?” Theo was a little less sure about the game.

“Lately? Not really.” Liam sounded deflated and that frustrated Theo for some reason.

“What did he do?” Theo was getting angry again.

“I just haven’t really seen him in a couple weeks. He’s been spending all his time with Corey.”

“Crap, you told me that last night.” Theo was getting mad at himself now, “Let me try a different one.” Theo paused for a minute, “Would you rather lose your werewolf claws or your werewolf senses?”

“That’s actually a good one.” Liam’s words calmed Theo down a bit, “Claws. There so much you can do with your senses, but claws are just a weapon.” Theo thought he could see Liam sniffing at the shirt he was wearing. Theo’s shirt. He wondered if it still smelled like him.

“I think I might actually agree with you.” Theo said it like it was the weirdest thing that could happen.

“Because that’s so terrible.” Liam shook his head, “Would you rather... be able to see your own future or anyone else’s?”

Theo’s first instinct was to answer with being able to see his own future. He’d been struggling so hard just to make it to the next day, but maybe he didn’t want to know how that struggle turned out. He stared at Liam as he thought about the question. The little bit of light they had outlined his silhouette. Being able to see Liam’s future would be nice right now. He’d know if his stupid plan would work out. Then he thought about seeing a future where it didn’t and he knew what his answer was.

“Mine,” He knew Liam would want an explanation, “I’ll always be there for my own future. I don’t want to see something I can’t stop in someone else’s.” His voice was somber.

“Yeah, I get that.” Theo could see Liam hadn’t expected that answer.

Theo took a quick breath, trying to push away an image of Liam cold, pale and unmoving with a trickle of purple trailing from his lips, “Would you rather...” He was having a tough time trying to come up with something and it was making him grumpy, “I thought you said this game was easy.”

“I said simple, not easy.” Liam corrected.

“Do you know anything else?” 

Theo realized he might just be getting hangry. Before Liam could answer, he leaned across the seat and popped open the glove box. His arm brushed against Liam’s and he couldn’t resist taking a sniff at the little wolf. The strawberries were gone. In their place the gym’s body wash and laundry detergent, but behind them there was something else, he could smell Liam wrapped up in his own scent. There was something strangely soothing about it.

His stomach reminded him why he was on this end of the truck. Theo snatched out the foil-wrapped pancakes and shut the glove box before retreating back to the driver’s seat. He peeled some of the foil back and picked at the day old breakfast.

“There’s truth or dare.”

Theo looked up from the day old breakfast wondering if Liam was serious, “You want to play truth or dare with just me?”

“Maybe just truth then?” Liam shrugged.

Theo considered it while he forced himself to finish one of the pancakes, “Fine, but I get to go first.”

“Yeah, ok.”

Theo wrapped the pancakes back up, “Who is your favorite packmate?”

Liam was silent for a bit before he offered his answer, “Lydia.”

Theo couldn’t stop the surprised look he was giving Liam. That was definitely not what he expected to hear. He was mostly curious why the answer wasn’t Scott, but he didn’t want to ask Liam that directly.

“Do we have to explain ourselves in this game too? Because, I think we should.”

“Ugh, alright. She tells you what you need to hear even if you don’t want to hear it.”

“Sounds like Malia.”

“No, Malia tells you whatever she wants whether you want to hear it or not. Totally different.” Liam chuckled.

Theo laughed along with him, “Yeah. You’re right.”

Theo liked it when Liam laughed. It was nice to see a smile on the little wolf’s face instead of the distant looks and moping that seemed to live there lately. Theo still felt a little guilty for chasing away the last one at the gas station. Their laughter faded into a brief moment of silence. Theo tossed the pancakes onto the console between them.

“It’s your turn.” He reminded Liam.

“Ok,” Liam picked up the leftovers and put them back in the glove box, “When you were kids who was your best friend Scott or Stiles?”

“Scott.” The answer came quick, “He was just nicer. Stiles has always been a sarcastic little bitch. You might think an eight year old isn’t able to be that sarcastic, but I assure you, he could.”

“I actually have no problem imagining that.” Liam laughed again.

Theo smiled. It was little but he knew that laugh was his fault and it felt good to know that. Actually, it felt great. Liam smiled back at him and their eyes met for a moment before they both looked away.

“I guess it’s my turn again,” Theo looked out into the trees while he thought, “What are you going to do when you graduate?”

“Is that really your question?”   
“Yes, it is.” Theo turned back to him, “And I want my answer.”

“I... I don’t know. I thought I would know by now.” Liam looked down at the console, “I mean, I should. Right?”

“Why should you?”

“Everyone else does. They’ve all picked out colleges already. My parents keep asking me where I’m going to apply to and...” Liam looked out through the windshield, “I don’t think I even want to.”

“Then don’t.”

Liam turned back to Theo, confusion on his face making it apparent no one had ever offered that as an option. The little wolf seemed to think about it for a minute, letting silence sink in between them. Theo didn’t let it last for long.

“Ok, your turn.”

“But I didn’t really answer your--”

“You did.” Theo assured him, “Take your turn.”

Liam looked at him with a cautious expression. Theo felt like Liam might be looking into him more than at him. Like he might be able to see the answer he wanted without being forced to actually ask.

“Why are you still in Beacon Hills?” Liam’s question came out as a whisper.

Theo knew the answer, but he wasn’t sure if he could say it. Liam had saved him in more ways than one. He knew that Scott was leaving him to protect it, that most of Liam’s pack would be scattered across the country. He’d fought to save Liam countless times already, but none of it ever felt like enough. He couldn’t just up and leave him. Theo clenched a fist just thinking about the possibility of something happening to Liam because he wasn’t there. I’m here because of you, you idiot.

“I’ve got something to take care of.” Theo knew that something was a someone.

“Ok,” Liam looked disappointed as he turned away.

A silence crept back into the truck. Theo could feel the anger welling back up inside him. He wasn’t mad at Liam, he was mad at himself.

“I’m tired, I’m gonna get some sleep.” Theo huffed.

He climbed over the console into the backseat. Liam stared out over the hood while Theo separated the bunched up blankets and spread one out over the seat. He grabbed the pillow that had fallen into the floor and fluffed it up a bit before shoving it to the end on the driver’s side. He wrapped the blanket around him and closed his eyes.

* * *

Liam sat there, staring out at the moonlit trees, wondering what Theo could possibly have to take care of. He realized he really didn’t know enough about the chimera to come up with an answer. They fought side by side so many times and somehow he still hadn’t learned much at all about Theo.

He’d just had a great opportunity to learn more, but he messed it up. Theo hadn’t said as much, but Liam was sure that last question had upset him. Liam knew he shouldn’t have asked, but he needed to know. Worst of all he didn’t really get an answer.

Liam let his head fall back against the seat. He wasn’t remotely tired. He pulled out his phone and killed some time poking at a few different apps. As it crept closer to midnight, he could feel the pull of the moon getting stronger, his wolf aching to run. He opened the glove box and stared at the glass bottle.

He took it out and screwed off the top. He pulled out a purple pill and held it up in the dim light. He wondered how it was going to feel. He’d felt yellow wolfsbane before and that was supposed to be much worse. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.

“Your water’s in the console.”

Theo’s voice startled him and he almost dropped both the pill and the bottle. He wondered how long he’d been awake. Or if he’d ever even been asleep. He lifted the top of the console and sure enough, the bottled water he’d bought earlier that day was there. He screwed the top back onto the pills and put them back into the glove box, keeping the single pill out. He took a mouthful of water and dropped the pill into his mouth. He swallowed it all together and followed with a couple more gulps of water.

Liam sat back again and waited, imagining the pill floating in his stomach. He sat back in his seat, but he really wanted to lay down. He tried to feel around in the gaps around the seat for something to lean it back, but his hands couldn’t seem to find the right controls to do it.

“How do I lay the seat back?” Liam was obviously agitated.

“There’s a control on the--”

“Yeah, I can’t find it.”

Theo huffed before Liam heard the blanket get tossed open. Then Theo was leaning over him from the backseat. Their chests pressed together as the chimera used his left hand to reach between the passenger seat and door. Liam felt a flush of heat spread through him from the contact. He was thankful that Theo’s face was turned towards the window or the chimera might have noticed the heat had traveled up into his face leaving a nervous blush on his cheeks.

The chimera’s scent filled his nose. A wave of comfort washed over him and he melted against the seat. A moment later, the seat back dropped down, Liam falling with it and away from Theo. The warmth was gone and a chill started to spread through him. Theo returned to the backseat.

“Better?”

“Yeah,” Liam felt the icy feeling continue to spread through his body as he stared up at the roof of the truck, “Actually, uh, no. I’m getting cold.”

“Here,”

Liam heard the sound of fabric bunching up before the extra blanket landed in his lap. He spread it out over himself trying to trap in what warmth he could. The only good thing about the cold that was seeping into him was the feeling of his wolf retreating. He tried to get comfortable to be able to weather through the feeling, but something was missing.

“Theo,” Liam’s voice was weak, “do you have an extra pillow?”

“No.”

Liam closed his eyes and sighed. It was going to be a long night. He heard Theo shifting around to his left before he felt the hand lifting his head up. He wondered what was happening before the feeling of the pillow being stuffed under his head made it apparent. 

He heard Theo wrestling with his own blanket for a minute before he seemed to settle in. Liam turned onto his side, facing towards Theo. The chimera had bunched up some clothes under his head as a makeshift pillow and had his eyes scrunched closed.

Liam pulled the blanket up around his shoulders. He figured it must have been one of the same ones they’d laid on while stargazing. He buried his face in it. Theo’s scent permeated every inch of the fabric and he was thankful for that. He wasn’t going to question how he felt about it right now. Liam needed the comfort as the wolfsbane started to take full effect.

* * *

Theo's eyes were shut, but he kept his other senses sharp. He listened closely to Liam’s heart. The soft thumping eventually evened out as the little wolf fell asleep. Theo kept listening for a while longer, worried that it might get weaker, but glad when it didn’t. 

He shifted onto his side, careful to make as little sound as possible. The plan seemed to be going ok so far, but the real rough part was coming tomorrow night. It made Theo thankful the supernatural rules didn’t apply to him. If he was susceptible to the moon’s influence there was no way he’d be able to make sure Liam survived it.

Memories of the last supermoon started swirling in his head. How could Liam even stand to be around him after what he did? The guilt gnawed at the pit of his stomach, something he’d never felt before Liam brought him back. It was overwhelming. 

He tried to think of the good that he’d done. He’d helped save Beacon Hills from Garrett and the Ghost Riders. He’d protected Liam from himself and from the hunters. None of it felt like enough.

“Sorry Liam...” Theo barely breathed out the words.

He lay there watching Liam sleep. The soft even heartbeat and gentle breaths assuring him the little wolf was ok. Retracing his good deeds may not have helped him feel better, but a realization let him push past some of the guilt. Liam trusted him.


	4. Pills

The alarm on Theo’s phone woke both of them up. Theo had drifted off while he watched over Liam. It was still dark out because the alarm wasn’t for a morning wake up. They had a schedule to keep.

Liam clutched his head, “Why was that so loud?”

“Because it’s important.”

Theo was already reaching over to the glove box from the backseat. He got out another one of the purple pills and put the rest of the jar away. He flipped up the lid on the console and got Liam’s water out again.

“I’m going to need you to sit up for a minute.” Theo whispered.

“My everything hurts.” Liam’s voice was a groggy mumble.

Liam grunted as he pushed himself back up to a sitting position. Theo handed him the pill and opened the water for him. He watched as Liam filled his mouth with water, dropped in the pill, and then chased with two more gulps, just like he had the night before. Theo took the bottle, twisting the cap back on and putting it away.

“How do you feel?”

“I told you, my everything hurts.”

“No, I mean the moon.”

Liam slid back down onto the seat, “It’s working.” 

“Kind of working or really working?”

“Really working.”

“Good.”

Theo pressed the palm of his hand against Liam’s forehead. He closed his eyes and concentrated. The blackness of Liam’s pain coursed out from the little wolf’s veins and into Theo’s. He winced as the ache set in, but kept going as long as he could. Liam let out a soft whimper.

“Get some more sleep. Next alarm we’re gonna need to get out of here.”

Theo pulled the blanket up over Liam’s shoulders. He curled back in his spot, wrapping up in his own blanket in the backseat. Taking Liam’s pain had done the trick and he could already hear his heart and breathing slowing to an even pace. Theo watched as Liam nuzzled into the blanket before fully drifting off.

He had a harder time getting back to sleep. The throbbing ache had spread into every inch of his body. He focused on Liam’s heartbeats until it was the only sound he could hear. The subtle droning thumps eventually lulled him to sleep.

* * *

Another blaring alarm woke Liam. The sound and the morning light drilled into his brain. He ached all over again, his whole body felt like one intense growing pain. Thankfully, Theo shut the alarm off quickly. He pushed himself up and the soreness hit him. He’d forgotten what that felt like.

Theo was already holding out another pill and the bottle of water. Liam gingerly took them from Theo and washed down another dose of wolfsbane. He handed the now empty bottle back and wrapped up in the blanket, covering his face to block out the light.

The blanket peeled back and he realized Theo was talking to him, “--it still working?”

Liam nodded and tugged the blanket back up. He assumed Theo was asking if his wolf was still in check. He was in enough pain, he figured it might have just curled up and died. He wondered if he would still be a werewolf after this was all over.

He inhaled as much second-hand Theo scent as he could from the blanket. It gave him something soothing to focus on instead of the pain. He was actually able to think. He wished Theo would take his pain again. Wait, Theo had actually taken his pain last night. The fact that the chimera could still do that was another source of comfort.

It felt like the truck was moving. Theo must be driving them somewhere. He thought he could hear him talking, so he adjusted the blanket so it didn’t cover his ear.

“--not really sure where, but I’ll find somewhere for us.”

Liam tried to think of somewhere they could go. Home wasn’t an option, even in this situation. Maybe especially in this situation. If Deaton had somewhere for them to go he probably would have told Theo already. There were two other adults in Beacon Hills that might be able to help, Sheriff Stilinski and Melissa McCall. Of the two there was definitely one he preferred.

He pulled the blanket back down. He kept his eyes firmly shut to keep out as much light as possible.

“Theo.” His voice was a strained whisper.

“Liam, I’ll try to help when I get us off the road.”

“No... Melissa.”

“What about Melissa?”

“Go to... Melissa.”

“McCall?! Liam, are you nuts? She hates me.” Theo’s shout made Liam wince. The chimera switched to a hushed tone, “Shit, sorry.”

“Please.”

“Come on Liam, there has to be someone else.”

“I’ll... text... her.” Liam spoke slowly.

“You are so lucky I care about y--,” Theo cut himself off for a second, “whether you live or die.”

Liam struggled to pull his phone out his tight jeans pocket, but he eventually got it to slip free. He lifted it to his face, squinting through the daylight at the black screen. He used a fingerprint to unlock it, reeling a bit as it sprung life and shined light directly in his face.

The headache intensified as he hunted through his contacts for Melissa’s number. He managed to pull up the text log. Typing out the message was slow going. He quickly became extra thankful for predictive text and auto-correct.

_ Need help _

She responded quickly.

_ Where are you? _

Liam pecked out another text.

_Coming to you_

Melissa’s dots flashed on the screen for a moment.

_ My house, not the hospital. _

Liam tried to figure out the shortest way to say the next part.

_ With Theo. Please be nice? _

The dots disappeared and reappeared several times before a short response came through.

_ Fine _

Liam locked the phone, thankful for the light to be out of his eyes. He thought about trying to shove it back into his pocket and didn't want to put in that much effort right now. He ended up just leaving it loose inside the blanket.

“Scott’s... house...” 

Liam could just make out Theo muttering to himself, “She’s going to kill me. Probably have Sheriff Stilinski help her cover it up.”

He pulled the blanket back up over his head, thankful to be wrapped up in a cocoon of darkness. The occasional bounce and shake of the truck reminding him about his sore muscles. He hoped that Melissa might have some way to help at least deal with the pain.

* * *

Theo pulled up to Scott’s house and cut the engine. He looked at the Liam filled blanket burrito and would have laughed if he didn’t know exactly how much pain he was in. He wasn’t looking forward to anything that came next.

“Liam, can you get your arm out of that blanket?” 

The blanket wriggled until eventually the arm Theo asked for appeared. He grabbed onto it with both hands, focusing until the black soaked into his veins. He stopped at only half of what he’d taken the night before. He was going to need to talk to Melissa and taking as much as he did last night definitely would not let him.

“Think you can make it inside?” Theo hoped he’d taken enough pain.

The blanket peeled back, revealing a squinting Liam, “I think so.”

The fact that he was having an easier time talking made Theo feel better. He undid his seatbelt and stepped out of the truck, the awkward ache he’d taken on set in as his feet hit the concrete. He circled around the truck to the passenger side and slowly opened the door.

“Come on, let’s get you out of that seat.”

Theo helped Liam sit up and then supported him as he got out of the truck. He could see the little wolf shaking, so he grabbed the blanket out of the truck and wrapped it around Liam’s shoulders. When he did, a phone clattered to the ground. He picked up Liam’s phone and looked it over. The case had saved it from damage. He went ahead and stuffed it in his pocket for now.

Theo guided Liam to the door by his shoulders. They had to take it slow, but Liam seemed to be ok on his feet for now. Before they could quite make it to the door, Melissa had already opened it and helped usher Liam inside. They got him into the living room and let him sit on the couch, still wrapped up in the blanket.

Melissa turned to Theo, “What’s wrong with him?”

“Wolfsbane.”

“I thought you all already knew how to deal with that.”

“We do. This is on purpose.”

“What?!” Melissa glared at him.

“It’s a supermoon.” Liam mumbled.

“Yeah, Liam thought this would keep him in check. And, surprisingly, it’s working.” Theo explained.

“Are you boys insane?!”

“Deaton helped.” Liam added.

Theo watched as Melissa was visibly thinking about something. He assumed it was probably who to kill first and he really hoped she decided on Deaton. Eventually, she just sighed and sat in one of the chairs across from Liam.

“You said you needed help.”

“We need somewhere to stay,” Liam started, “and Theo’s apartment is being renovated and my parents don’t know about me yet.”

“Both of you?” Melissa raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah.” Theo nodded.

Liam pulled the blanket in tighter, “And maybe you have a way to help with the pain?”

“I’ll see what I can come up with. How long do you need to stay?”

“The supermoon should run its course by Monday night.”

“And what about you, Theo. Do I need to worry about what you might do?” He knew Melissa was talking about more than the supermoon.

“I’m a chimera, so not exactly a werewolf. The moon doesn’t affect me. Mountain ash doesn’t either.” He left out the part about how his eyes would never change.

“Good to know.” Melissa stood up, “You can use Scott’s room. He took most of his stuff with him to college, but his bed’s still here. I should have an air mattress somewhere too.”

“Thank you.”

Theo helped Liam back to his feet. He wrapped an arm around the little wolf’s chest to help support him as they headed upstairs. Liam was still pretty shaky, so he knew he’d be doing most of the work getting him up there. Melissa stopped them at the bottom of the stairs.

“When he’s situated I’m going to need you to come back down here so we can talk. Got it?” Theo knew it wasn’t really a question.

He looked her in the eye, “Got it.”

Theo had been willing away the pain he’d taken from Liam for a while now. He pushed through it to get Liam up and into Scott’s bed. Every wince and gasp the little wolf let out made him want to take more, but he couldn’t yet. Not if he was going to make it through whatever discussion Melissa had in mind.

“Are you going to be ok for a little while?” Theo knew he sounded worried.

“I’ll be ok. Go ahead.” Theo started out before he heard Liam add, “Just so you know, I’m pretty sure Scott gave her one of those military stun batons.”

Theo shook his head and headed back downstairs. He left the door cracked so he’d have an easier time hearing if Liam had any trouble. When he got to the bottom of the stairs he didn’t see Melissa anywhere.

“In the kitchen!” It was Melissa’s voice.

He walked into the kitchen cautiously. Melissa was sitting at the island with what he assumed was a folded up air mattress in front of her. She didn’t look particularly pleased.

“Sit down.”

Theo took a seat, “Yes, ma’am.”

“I know you killed my son.” Theo realized Melissa wasn’t going to be pulling any punches, “He was dead for 15 minutes. I had to see him, dead on the ground, because of you.”

Melissa's hands were shaking. She balled them up into fists and pressed them against the top of the island. Her eyes were locked onto him.

“Thankfully, for your sake, he came back to life. So he was able to tell me how you helped fight off the Wild Hunt and kept his pack safe when the anuk-ite attacked.” She relaxed the fists a little bit, “He says that makes you an ally. And if that works for Scott, good for him, but I will never be able to unsee what I saw in the library that day.”

Theo could see the anger and the grief that had welled up in her. More than that, he could smell it in the air. As she spoke he could feel guilt gnawing at his insides again. The pain from Liam made it impossible to ignore.

“I, um, Mrs. McCall...” Theo felt the guilt crawling into his throat, “I want you to-- I need you to know. I’m not the same person that did that.” He could feel the tears welling up behind his eyes, “I will never ask for your forgiveness. I, uh, I don’t deserve it. I did unspeakable things and at the time, I didn’t care.” Theo’s voice was starting to shake, “But, I do now. And the only person who’s ever really believed in me is upstairs hurting right now. I made him a promise, to be there for him and that’s what I’m trying to do. So, if you can at least bring yourself to help me with him, I would appreciate it.” Theo sniffled and wiped away a tear that had started to trail down one of his cheeks.

Melissa’s expression softened. It was obvious that this wasn’t the conversation she expected to have. Her fists returned to hands, before she pushed the air mattress over to him.

“We have more to talk about, but you can both stay.” She pulled her purse onto her shoulder, “I said I would see what I could come up with and I will. I’m going to go by the hospital and the store. So it’ll be awhile before I get back.”

Theo wiped the rest of the tears from his eyes. He sat there for a minute trying to swallow the guilt that had lodged itself in his throat. When he started to feel it fade he headed out to his Truck. He grabbed his duffle bag, the blanket, the pillow and the bottle of pills in the glove box. He added the air mattress to the pile when he came back inside and hauled all of it up the stairs.

He tried to catch his breath as he sat on the floor of Scott’s room. He unfolded the air mattress and started the awful process of inflating it. Liam had fallen back asleep on Scott’s bed, though he was still bunched up in Theo’s blanket. 

Once the air mattress was full, he put it near the bed. Next, he spread his blanket over the top of it and put his pillow with it as well. He sat on the air mattress and watched Liam sleep, he wasn’t sure for how long. 

At some point Liam began to wince and whine. Theo took one of the little wolf’s arms into his hands and held onto it. He focused and started to pull away Liam’s pain again. He kept going until the wincing and whining stopped. His head was pounding, his whole body throbbed with pain. 

Theo saw something in his peripheral vision. He turned to look in the doorway and Melissa was standing there. He must have been so focused on Liam that he hadn’t heard her come back. She turned around and walked back down the hall. A moment later he could hear her heading downstairs.

He let his senses focus on Liam’s heartbeat again. He wanted to make sure the little wolf was doing ok. When he got his confirmation, he struggled to his feet. The pain was near overwhelming, but he needed to know if Melissa had found a way to help Liam. Slowly, but surely, he made his way downstairs.

* * *

Nolan was cleaning up his room. He’d woken up later than usual. He went to bed at the normal time, but he just couldn’t fall asleep. He was too worried about Liam. Nolan kept wondering what kind of ‘werewolf stuff’ had stolen him away so quickly.

Once everything was straightened and in its place, he unplugged his phone from the charger on his bedside table. He unlocked it and swiped to his messaging app. He sent a message to Liam before he could let his mind convince him not to.

_ I hope you’re ok. _

He stared at the text as it went from sending to sent. There was no taking it back now. He locked the phone and shoved it in his pocket.

Nolan didn’t really know what to do next. He’d already worked out, he didn’t have any homework left, and he’d just finished all of his chores. He considered booting up his system for some competitive play, but he felt like he needed a break.

His mind kept going back to Liam. He’d been having fun hanging out with him. Liam didn’t seem to mind how weird he was. Hell, he actually seemed interested in some of it. He really did hope he was ok.

Nolan decided he needed to get out of the house. He put on his running shorts and a tank top. Then he did some stretches before letting his parents know he would be going for a run. He tried to just run and not think about anything, but he couldn’t stop worrying about Liam.

* * *

Theo stumbled into the kitchen. Melissa stood at the island chopping vegetables. He pulled himself into a chair across from her. The repeated thunk of the knife against the cutting board wasn’t doing anything to help his headache.

Once she’d finished with the celery, went to the cupboard and grabbed a glass, filled it with water and set it in front of Theo. Then she rifled through her purse and dropped a stack of boxes in front of him. They looked like they contained pills.

“Swiped some of the samples from work. They’ll help, but they’re still not as strong as a prescription.” She looked from him to the boxes and back again, “Take 2. Now.”

Theo opened one of the boxes. It had an insert with four pills in it. He punched out two of them and tossed them in his mouth before taking a drink of water to help them down. He put the insert back in the open box and watched silently as she peeled some carrots.

“You really are different aren’t you?”

“Yeah” Theo didn’t know what else to say.

“I saw what you did for Liam. I know what it takes to do that. Scott explained everything to me.”

Theo sipped the water, opting to stay quiet.

“Liam said your apartment is being renovated?”

“Uh,” shit, “Yeah.”

“What part of town is it in?”

‘Um,” shit shit, “North Beacon Hills”

“How much does an apartment cost up there?”

Shit shit shit. Theo put his head in his hands.

“There’s no apartment, is there?”

“No.”

“Theo-”

“Please don’t tell him.” Theo could feel the tears trying to come back.

Melissa sighed, “Theo.”

“Please.”

She set the knife down. “He’s going to find out eventually.”

“I know, but at least let me get him through this.”

“Why didn’t you tell him?”

He wasn’t sure what it was about Melissa. Maybe he just missed having a mother figure in his life. Something about her made him really honest really fast.

“I... I don’t want him to find out I have nothing to offer him. All I have is my truck. The only reason there’s even gas in it right now is because he wanted to do something nice for me.” Tears were brimming on Theo’s eyes, “I don’t need him feeling sorry for me. He’s just going to try to fix it. He’s already spent enough time trying to save me.”

“Honey,” Melissa tore off a paper towel and handed it to him, “Did you ever think that maybe he’s spent all this time with you because he thinks you’re worth saving?”

Theo wiped away the tears before they could fall, “He thinks everyone is worth saving. That’s just the kind of person he is.”

Melissa looked him over. He felt like she could see something he couldn’t. She sighed and shook her head, before going back to her cooking.

“I’m making some soup for later.” She moved on to chopping onions, “I’ll bring it up. You look like you could use some rest.”

Just a couple hours ago, Melissa hated him. Truly hated him. Now? He had no idea, really.

“Go!” She gestured towards the stairs, that she did it with the chef’s knife added a bit more urgency.

Theo scooped up the boxes, “Can I take this glass?”

“Yes,” The knife waved around again, “go!”

He made his way slowly and carefully back up to the room. The pills had started to kick in and they helped, but they were making him feel a little hazy. He pulled out his phone to check the time and he wondered for a minute how Nolan had gotten his number before he remembered he’d pocketed Liam’s phone earlier. He checked his actual phone and his alarm for the next pill would be going off soon.

* * *

Liam slowly opened his eyes to see Theo sitting on the edge of the bed. The chimera had gently shaken his leg pulling him out of a dream he’d already started to forget. This plan was as terrible as he felt. The yellow wolfsbane had been bad, really bad, but it was only in one wound. These pills were another story. Less intense, sure, but every inch of his body felt it.

“Hey, little wolf, it’s time for another dose.” Theo’s voice was soft.

Liam grimaced, “Ugh, ok.”

Theo was avoiding eye contact, which just made Liam want to look at him more. He caught a glimpse of Theo’s face and thought he could make out a fading redness around the chimera’s eyes. He figured he had to be mistaken, because he couldn’t even imagine Theo crying. Another purple pill and a glass of water were pushed into his hands and he followed his pill taking routine, the gulps of water washing down his third pill so far.

“Thanks.” Liam whispered, his voice somewhat hoarse at this point.

“Not done yet.” Theo pushed two more pills into his hand.

Liam looked at the small white ovals with confusion, “Huh?”

“Melissa got these for the pain”

Liam gulped them down with plenty of water. He hoped they would work because the pain was already starting to build again. When he finished, Theo took the glass and stood back up from the bed.

“Melissa’s making some soup. She said she’ll bring it up when it’s ready.” Theo started towards the bedroom door.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to let you rest.”

Liam felt weak and hazy, but he didn’t really feel tired, so he didn’t want to sleep. Less than that, he didn’t want to just sit in silence. He checked his pockets for his phone, hoping he could scroll through some apps or something, but he didn’t find it. He remembered Theo had picked it up when it fell out of the blanket.

“Theo?”

The chimera turned back to him from the doorway, “What?”

“Can I have my phone?”

“Oh. Yeah. Here.” Theo pulled it out of his pocket and threw it onto the bed beside him.

“Thanks.”

“Sure.”

Liam watched as Theo slowly turned around again and slipped out of the bedroom, quietly shutting the door. He thought back to their very short game of ‘Would You Rather?’ and realized he was starting to live one of Theo’s questions. His senses were fading. He couldn’t hear past the door. Not only that, but he couldn’t really smell Theo as much on the blanket. The loss was making him uneasy.

He snatched up his phone hoping to forget about what was happening to him for a while. The first thing he saw was a text from Nolan, hoping he was alright. Liam was definitely not alright, but he didn’t think telling Nolan that would help his new friend’s anxiety.

_ I’m ok. Don’t worry about me. _

Liam sent the text and frowned at the screen. He didn’t like lying, but he didn’t see what good telling the truth would serve. Before he could close the message he saw that Nolan was typing, but eventually that stopped and then went away. He gave it another couple of minutes to see if something might come through, but nothing did.

He flipped through a few different apps trying to distract himself. The pain had softened a little but he also didn’t quite feel like himself. He was starting to get drowsy, but he kept fighting sleep. In the middle of watching a video, he kept nodding off.

Suddenly, he was in a skydiving circle with his pack. The wind was rushing over their bodies as the earth was swiftly approaching. Everyone was there, but somehow he felt like someone was missing.

The first person to break away from the circle was Stiles. He pulled his ripcord and floated up away from the group. As they kept falling he became a blurry dot in the sky. Next, Scott, Lydia, and Malia all opened their chutes and shot up into the sky. It wasn’t long before they too seemed to fade away. That left just Liam, Mason, and Corey.

“Let go!” Corey shouted.

“What?! No, I need you guys!” Liam pleaded.

“You’re fine, Liam, it’s just one more year anyway!” Mason’s voice barely cut through the wind.

The two both worked to wrench their hands out of Liam’s grip. He tried to hold onto them, even tried to shift for more strength, but nothing worked. Mason and Corey eventually broke free from his grasp and yanked their cords, flying up and away.

“Wait! I need you guys!” Liam could feel his voice being swallowed up in the wind.

He looked down. The ground was rushing towards him and seemed to be getting faster and faster. He grabbed his ripcord and yanked, but nothing happened. He stared at the string in his hand before it was taken upwards. He reached to activate the backup chute to find there was nothing there. He frantically tried to find something, anything that would help him, but it was no use. While his friends floated safely above him, he crashed into the earth.

Liam jerked back awake overwhelmed with a sense of dread. He’d been having that nightmare for a couple weeks now. It was the same exact thing every time which left him with the same exact terror. He pulled the blanket into his face, partly to try to catch Theo’s scent and partly to soak up the tears that were already forming. He cried harder when he realized he couldn’t smell anything. The one thing that had been comforting him was gone now. He shook with silent sobs into the soft fabric.

* * *

Nolan had been back from his run for a while now. He tried to find something to do to occupy himself, but nothing seemed to be holding his interest. He’d ended up laying in bed staring at the ceiling and thinking about Liam.

‘Werewolf stuff’. It sounded so innocuous, but he knew it could be incredibly serious. Deadly serious even. And he still hadn’t heard back from Liam. That was just his luck though, to make an awesome friend and then lose them forever.

Nolan tried to focus on the good things, remembering how Liam treated him. He felt like he actually mattered, like he wasn’t some weirdo. He was starting to get a strange feeling in his stomach whenever he thought of Liam that he didn’t understand.

His phone was facedown on his chest and he kept hoping to hear a notification sound come from it. His mother told him that no news was good news, but her advice wasn’t enough today. He kept absentmindedly shaking one of his legs, then focusing on stopping and eventually going back to shaking. It was a vicious cycle.

His chest vibrated and then a noise rang out. Nolan excitedly checked the phone to see a response from Liam. He started to type back an offer of help, but what was he supposed to do? There was no way he was going to be able to help with anything. Besides, the offer just showed that he was, in fact, worrying. That was the one thing Liam had made absolutely clear in his message, not to worry.

Of course, he just worried more. People always said ‘don’t worry’ to him when there was definitely something to worry about. He put down the phone and went back to staring at the ceiling. His worries were interspersed with memories of smiles and laughter from Liam. Of sitting so close together on his bed. Of the hug he’d stolen that had been ever so brief, but locked in his mind forever.

He wasn’t sure about the hug when he decided to do it. He’d hugged Gabe once and only once. Nolan hadn’t really thought anything of it, since he assumed it was just something friends did. When he was shoved to the asphalt, he got a quick lesson from Gabe that it was something only girls did. He still had the scar on the back of his leg from that fall.

Liam had been so different though. The amount of attention and interest he’d shown during their hangouts just felt so different. So, he risked a hug. At least if he got shoved again his bed was behind him to catch the fall.

There was no shove though. Liam had tensed up at first, but he didn’t try to stop it, so Nolan squeezed maybe a little too tight. Liam had felt warm and strong in his arms, mostly due to the muscles the werewolf had tightened at the time. When Nolan buried his face in the other boy’s shoulder, he had taken a deep breath. Liam smelled like he did after lacrosse practice, a smell Nolan had already gotten used to from their chats in the locker room. He’d wanted to just hold onto him and not let go, but since he also didn’t want to scare him off, he did let go.

When he stepped back, Liam didn’t run, didn’t shout, didn’t shove. He’d stayed. And to Nolan’s surprise, put a hand on his shoulder. He hadn’t expected that and he knew that he was blushing, but he didn’t really care. It was nice. Maybe Liam would let him get another hug in the next time they hung out. He tried to tell himself there would definitely be a next time, but he was still worried about the ‘werewolf stuff’.

* * *

Theo stopped outside the door to Scott’s room. He’d gotten Liam to take his pills, so at least he had accomplished that much. When he’d started to leave he thought Liam was going to ask him to stay, but instead he just wanted his phone back. He wanted to call him a jerk, but he looked so frail wrapped up in the blanket, he couldn’t.

Theo looked down the hall towards the stairs. He didn’t want to go down and be alone with Melissa again. Who knew what she might get him to talk about next. So, instead of walking into another confession, he just sat there by the door.

He forced himself to focus through the haziness of the pain pills, zeroing in on Liam’s heart rate and breathing. The little wolf seemed to be doing ok. He heard videos and songs playing from inside the room for a while until they just stopped and he could tell Liam was asleep again.

The smells of the food had started to waft upstairs from the kitchen and his stomach grumbled. The other half of the sandwich and the stale pancakes were still in his truck, but getting them would mean being out of earshot of Liam and he wasn’t going to do that for even a moment right now. He was just going to have to wait for Melissa to let him know the soup was ready.

The hunger was a symptom of his situation. A situation he’d been trying to find his way out of. A situation Melissa thought he should explain, but he still didn’t feel ready to. He didn’t know if he’d ever be ready for that conversation. Maybe he could fix it himself before Liam found out.

He sat beside Scott’s door tired, hungry, and still aching from Liam’s pain. He wanted to go curl up on the air mattress in the room, but he worried the noise would wake Liam. He focused his hearing again to listen and didn’t hear the slow heartbeat and even breath of sleep anymore. The little wolf’s pulse was erratic and instead of breathing he heard sobs.

Theo rushed to his feet and into the bedroom. Liam was completely curled up inside his blanket, his crying causing him to shake every few seconds. Theo moved to the bed and sat down in front of Liam keeping his feet on the floor.

“Are you ok?” The words left Theo’s mouth before he could think about them.

The shaking stopped, at least mostly, “Yeah.” Liam definitely didn’t sound ok.

“Is it the wolfsbane?”

“I said I’m ok.” Liam grumbled.

“I need to know if it’s the pills.”

“Fine, it’s not the pills.”

“Then something’s wrong. What is it?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Just tell me about it. Like I said before, no one’s going to believe me anyway so you can just deny it later.”

“Yeah, well, why don’t you tell me what’s going on with you Theo?” Liam started to sound angry.

Theo sat quietly. He didn’t want to explain that he slept in his truck because he had nowhere else to go. Or that he showered at the gym because it was the cheapest possible way. Or that when he was lucky enough to get a hold of some food he always had to save it and stretch it as far as it would go. So he didn’t say anything.

“So, something is going on, isn’t it?” Liam’s voice was clearly angry now, even muffled by the blanket piled around him.

Theo felt a hand on his arm and he jerked away, “It’s not your problem.”

“Theo?” Most of Liam’s anger was gone.

He stood up from the bed, out of reach from any more attempts to grab a hold of him, “Don’t worry, I won’t pry again.”

Theo was pissed off. The little wolf had turned his tactics on him. He’d rather Liam be mad at him than worry about or pity him. At least now he wasn’t crying. The blanket pile shifted and he assumed based on the new shape Liam had turned away from him.

Theo threw himself onto the air mattress wrapping up in his other blanket. The beat of his own angry pulse drowned out the rest of the room. Why couldn’t Liam just let himself be taken care of? Why did he have to try to save everyone? 

Theo simmered for a while. The air mattress wasn’t amazing, but it was definitely more comfortable than his backseat. He hadn’t even realized when he fell asleep.

When he woke up, the room was unsettlingly quiet. He couldn’t hear anything except himself. He sat up and looked around the room. Liam’s blanket lump was still on the bed but he couldn’t see any movement at all. 

He carefully walked over and sat on the bed. He peeled away a flap of the blanket and the bottle of wolfsbane pills tumbled out onto the bed. It was open, only a couple of the purple pills rattled inside, far less then there should be.

“No, no, no, no, no...” 

Theo unwrapped the rest of the blanket and uncovered the little wolf completely. His chest wasn’t moving, his skin was almost purplish pale, and some sort of foam was leaking from his mouth. He shook Liam, but the body just shuddered awkwardly in his hands.

What had he done? Theo yanked out his phone to see a series of missed alarms. How could he have let himself fall asleep? Why hadn’t Liam woken him up? But he knew why.

He wouldn’t have either after that last interaction. Why did he always have to push him away? If he’d just been honest with Liam this wouldn’t have happened.

The door rustled and Theo felt panic hit. Melissa walked in carrying two bowls of soup. When she saw the bed the bowls fell, shattered porcelain, chicken, vegetables, and broth scattered across the floor.

“What did you do?!” Melissa roared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is coming very soon.  
> It's Thanksgiving here in the US and I wanted to get something out for you guys, because I'm thankful for you all even if this chapter might not make you feel like I am. *nervous laugh*  
> Sorry.  
> I'll make it up to you soon, I promise. :D
> 
> Please don't kill me.


	5. The Wolf

Melissa had come into the room, but Theo realized she hadn’t dropped the soup, nor was he sitting on Scott’s bed beside Liam. He was still on the air mattress and when he looked over, Liam was sitting up out of the blanket. The little wolf’s red eyes showed he’d definitely been crying recently.

Theo just wanted to hug him. He wanted to feel Liam’s pulse in his arms to confirm he was alive, to fully shake away the nightmare he’d just had. He told himself he’d wait because he didn’t want to do it with Melissa there. The looks she gave him were already weird enough.

She came over and handed Theo his bowl first, before sitting with Liam and giving the other one to him. Theo watched them as he carefully ate the soup, making sure not to go too fast. He didn’t want to upset his stomach, nor did he want to draw any attention right now.

Melissa reached out with the back of her hand and checked Liam’s forehead, “Ok, no fever. That’s good. Are you hungry at all?”

“Kind of.” Liam gestured slowly with the bowl, “Thank you.”

“Can you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten for me?”

“Seven. Thanks for the pills, they’re helping.”

“I’m sure not as much as Theo has been, but they’re something at least.”

Liam furrowed his brow in confusion, “Huh?”

“Theo’s taken some of your pain. I saw him do it just a couple hours ago.”

Liam looked over at him with his tear-worn eyes. The glance was brief, but Theo felt his chest tighten before the little wolf turned back to Melissa. He hadn’t fully shaken off the nightmare yet and seeing Liam like that wasn’t helping him to hold back tears of his own.

The throbbing ache from the last time he’d done it was still with him, but finally seemed to be easing off somewhat. The pills had deadened the feeling, not reduced it, so he was sure that it wasn’t because of them. He hoped it would be gone soon so he could take Liam’s pain again.

“Any other symptoms?”

Liam’s confusion returned, but he still answered, “My senses feel like they’re gone. I mean, they’re normal for a human, I guess.”

Melissa looked up like she was thinking about something, “I’ll try to reach out to Deaton then.”

Liam’s head drooped, “Ok.”

“When he helped set this up, he didn’t tell either of you about any potential side-effects did he?”

Liam looked over to Theo, who finally spoke, “No. He said he’d never seen prolonged exposure on a regular werewolf, so to be careful and keep an eye on things.”

“Maybe I won’t reach out then.” Melissa double checked Liam’s forehead, “Ok, well, I want both of you to eat that soup. I didn’t spend the last few hours making it for nothing.”

Liam took a spoonful as she stared him down. Satisfied with that, she turned to Theo who showed her the empty bowl he was holding. She took it from him, the spoon’s handle scraping along the edge as it moved in her hands.

“There’s plenty more.” Melissa offered.

“No, thanks. I need to take it slow.” Why did he say that last part?

“Well, I’ll bring some more up later. Make sure he eats most of that.”

Liam looked somewhat offended by Melissa’s instructions. She gave him a knowing glare and his expression shifted to one of acceptance. She stood up and glanced between them a couple times. The closer it seemed to get to Melissa leaving the room, the more anxious Theo felt.

“When’s the next dose?”

“At four.”

“Then you better eat that soup sooner than later.”

“Yes, ma’a--, Melissa.” Liam had made that mistake twice in the past couple days, even in his groggy state he wasn’t about to repeat it.

“I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.” She made sure they could tell that was directed at both of them.

“Thank you.” Both Liam and Theo mumbled.

Finally, she turned and left, shutting the door quietly. The silence hit Theo hard. He still wanted to hug Liam, hoping it would wash more of the nightmare from his mind. He didn’t know if the little wolf would let him, though.

He got up from the air mattress and made his way over to the bed. Liam watched him with red rimmed eyes. Theo knew he’d been crying before Melissa came into the room, but he didn’t like the idea that he’d been crying while he was in here. He hoped it wasn’t his fault, but it probably was.

“Hey.” He said quietly as he sat down beside Liam at the head of the bed.

Liam gave him another one of those ever so brief snarls. He’d definitely messed up earlier and he wasn’t sure he could make up for it. He was going to try though.

“Look, we both know I’m an asshole. I just,” Theo took a moment to try to find the right words,”I can’t tell you yet, but I will. Ok?”

Liam eyed him suspiciously, “How bad is it?”

“It’s complicated.”

“I didn’t ask if it was complicated.” Liam’s anger was rising again.

“Fine, it’s pretty bad, ok?” Theo was almost shouting, “And I’ll figure it out on my own, you have a big enough problem to deal with right now.”

Liam looked concerned, “Pretty bad?”

“Yes, and I just said--”

“Yeah, I know. You’ll deal with it on your own.”

As he stared at the hurt expression Liam gave him he wished he could just go ahead and tell him, but Theo wanted the supermoon to be over at least. They sat in the quiet again, neither really looking at the other for a couple minutes. Theo started to hate the silence. It was always a sign that he messed up somehow.

“Are you really going to make me force you to eat that soup?”

“Maybe.” Liam grunted out the word before taking another spoonful anyway.

The silence was broken up by the sounds of Liam working his way through the soup. He eventually took the bowl and set it on the side table, when it hadn’t seen any attention for a while. Only a quarter of it was left.

Liam bundled back up in the blanket, angrily tugging a part of it out from under Theo. The little wolf had pulled his phone back out and was skimming through some online videos as he tried watching at an angle. Liam wasn’t kicking him off the bed, but Theo didn’t think he was getting that hug.

* * *

Liam kept swiping through an app on his phone. He was trying to ignore the pain and the cold, but the videos weren’t much help. The soup had actually done some good, making him feel a little better as it settled in his stomach and the ache of hunger faded away. At least that was one less type of pain to worry about.

He knew his next dose was coming up based on what Theo had said. There was a feeling he hoped would go away with the next pill, his wolf had begun to scratch at the back of his mind again. The supermoon’s pull was getting stronger.

Liam had adjusted the angle of the screen so Theo could see it too. He wanted to be mad at him, but everything Theo had done for him made it impossible. If it hadn’t been for Theo, he wouldn’t have even known it was going to be a supermoon this weekend. He didn’t even want to think of what could have happened if he hadn’t been warned.

Theo even helped him with his terrible plan. Admittedly, so had Deaton, but again that was only because of Theo. Liam wondered if he would have been able to pull this off without the chimera, but he already knew the answer. Theo had helped him so much and he just wanted to be able to do something in return, but he was being forced to wait to even find out if he could help and he didn’t like it.

His phone beeped at him, warning him the battery was low. The distraction wasn’t going to last much longer, not that it had really helped at all. He locked the phone and let it drop onto the bed.

“I can ask Melissa if she has a charger.” Theo offered.

“Ok.” Liam’s voice sounded kind of sad.

“I’ll be right back.”

As Theo got up to leave, Liam realized he didn’t really want him to go, but he couldn’t think of a reason to stop him that made any sense. Moreover he didn’t really understand why he didn’t want Theo to go. So he just sat there quietly watching him disappear through the door.

Now alone in the room, the pain started to come to the forefront again. He buried his face in the blanket again hoping to catch Theo’s scent somehow, but his senses were still too weak. The discomfort only amplified when the wolf inside him began to push even harder, desperate to break free and run wild.

He could hear a beeping coming from downstairs, the rapid tones of Theo’s alarm. It must be time for another pill. The alarm didn’t go off for long, but it was still a couple more minutes before Theo returned to the room, phone charger loosely coiled in his hand.

“She found one for you.” Theo gestured with the cable.

The chimera walked over to the bedside table and found an outlet behind it, plugging in the charger. He tried to reach the cable up to the bed, but it wasn’t long enough. Theo looked at Liam, held out his hand and nodded to the phone on the bed. Liam handed it to him and watched as the phone was plugged in and left on the nightstand.

“It’s the only one she had.” Theo shrugged.

“It’s fine.”

“I’ve got to get you some more water.”

Theo grabbed the empty glass on the side table and headed back out of the room. This time he didn’t have to wait nearly as long. Theo came back with the glass full of water. He stopped to pull the jar of pills out of the side pocket of the duffle bag before coming over and sitting in front of Liam again. Theo handed him the glass and shook one of the pills out for him as well. The chimera’s eyes locked on him as he gulped down the pill with a mouthful of water and chased that with another drink or two. 

“Melissa said to wait on the other pills.” Theo explained as he took the glass and set it down for him.

“Ok”

“How do you feel?”

“Weak still.”

“That’s it?”

Liam glanced around the room, “The moon’s getting stronger.”

“How strong?”

“I can manage.”

“The pain?”

Liam looked down before giving his answer, “Worse.”

Liam felt Theo’s hand on his forehead. He looked up to see the chimera’s eyes were closed while he concentrated. Pain started to seep away which was a relief, at first. As it deadened, Liam’s wolf began to fight harder and that scared him. He shoved Theo’s arm away and scrambled back against the headboard.

“I... I’m sorry.” Theo looked hurt, “I was just--”

“I know. It’s my wolf. I think the pain is what’s stopping it.”

Liam leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling. He didn’t want to see that look on Theo’s face. It was worse than the wolfsbane. He felt the bed shift as Theo started to get up and without thinking he grabbed Theo’s arm.

“Please don’t go.”

“I’m not leaving. I’ll be right there.” Theo gestured to the air mattress.

Liam still didn’t know why having Theo nearby was such a relief, but he wasn’t going to question it now. He just wanted to feel better. And the closer they were the better he felt.

Liam frowned, “Do you have to?”

“No, I guess not.”

Theo looked at him with a strange expression, glancing between his hands and face. Liam realized then that he hadn’t let go of his arm which explained why his hands were so warm, but not his chest. He didn’t want to let go.

“This isn’t exactly the most comfortable spot.” Theo said.

“Oh, sorry.”

Liam let go, he still didn’t want to, but he did. The cold air on his hands made them feel clammy so he grabbed the blanket. Liam’s heart sank as Theo got up and went over to the air mattress. Maybe he should have said something. He was confused as Theo pulled the blanket off the mattress. He couldn’t imagine sitting on the plastic would feel good at all.

Theo turned to him, “Hey, do you think you can manage to get up for just a minute?”

“Maybe.”

Liam hesitantly tried to put his feet on the floor. The shifting around took a lot of work and he was getting woozy before he finally got to sitting at the edge of the bed. When his head stopped spinning he realized Theo had come over and hooked an arm under his knees and had one behind his back as well.

“This ok?” Theo asked.

Yes, yes it was. Liam realized he should probably actually say it out loud, “Sure.”

Theo slowly lifted him off the bed, Liam still bundled up in his blanket. He was close enough to Theo that he could smell him again. Calm washed over him. Better yet, he could feel his wolf hesitating. It ended when Theo set him down on the air mattress. Damn.

Liam craned his neck to watch as Theo shook out the blanket he’d picked up a moment ago and laid it out across the bed. He stretched it over the edges where possible. Theo finally seemed satisfied when the blanket covered every inch.

“All I could smell was Scott.” Theo explained.

“Oh”

Liam must not have noticed because of the blanket he’d had wrapped around him. He was glad though, because smelling Scott everywhere would have probably put him on edge. He wondered what Theo was going to do without the blanket tonight though.

“Alright, ready to go back?” Theo asked.

Liam nodded and Theo wrapped his arms around him again, lifting him up off the plastic mattress. Liam let his head roll towards Theo’s shoulder this time. He inhaled slowly through his nose until his chest was full, then slowly breathed it out. He wasn’t sure but he thought he might have heard a chuckle from Theo.

Unfortunately, the moment didn’t last long. Theo was soon setting him back onto the bed and all he could do was let it happen. He didn’t understand why he was disappointed, so how was he even supposed to ask for more?

He watched as Theo walked around the bed. Theo seemed stronger now, not just because he’d picked him up and moved him around. Liam remembered how he’d cut Theo short when taking his pain a moment ago and he realized that Theo must have been suffering through the pain he’d been taking all day. Now, without that burden, he’d returned to the strong ally he’d been fighting alongside for months. Theo made his way completely around and sat down on the bed beside him again.

“So, is there another game we can play?”

Liam really wanted to, but it was getting harder to talk, “No, sorry.”

“It’s ok. We can watch stuff on my phone?”

“Yeah.”

Theo pulled out his phone and Liam could see he didn’t have any apps on it at all outside of what it probably came with and what looked like an almanac. Theo opened the browser and handed the phone to Liam. He tapped in a website and pulled up one of his favorite channels.

“This is what you want to watch?” Theo chuckled out the words.

Liam nodded while trying to hide his frown.

“Didn’t expect you to be into this sort of stuff.” Theo tapped one of the videos, accidentally starting it, “This one looks pretty cool.”

Liam replaced his frown with a slight grin. He was glad Theo wasn’t laughing at him before.

When Scott had started to suggest Liam would be taking over as ‘alpha’ he’d started researching more mythology and had really fallen into it.

The video Theo put on was about Medusa and some potential interpretations to her lore. Liam was getting weaker and he could barely hold up the phone so they could both see it. Theo gently took the phone from him and held it between them.

“Can you see ok?” Theo asked.

“Kinda”

“Here.”

Theo scooted closer to him and put an arm around his shoulders. Liam was surprised, he definitely hadn’t expected this. And somehow it wasn’t enough. He wanted to be closer to Theo, like when the chimera had picked him up before.

“Better?”

Liam nodded his head. It was better, but how could he tell him he wanted to be closer? Would Theo even be ok with it? Maybe it was best to just sit here like this. He’d gotten caught up in his thoughts again.

“What’s wrong?”

He could feel Theo’s eyes on him, staring at what he now realized was a disappointed expression. He started to panic, he had no idea what to do or say. Liam knew he was mad at the blanket. The stupid thing was literally separating him from what he wanted. With that little spark of rage, he could feel his wolf getting excited by the taste of anger.

“Liam?”

Fuck it. Liam wrenched himself out of Theo’s arm, he could see a bewildered look on the chimera’s face. He tried to shrug off the blanket, to yank it out from between them, but he somehow got more caught up in it. He didn’t realize how much more until he felt himself fall onto the floor.

“Liam! Stop!” Theo’s words were muffled.

Liam was ready to just rip the blanket apart. His wolf was urging him to shift, telling him that his claws would make short work of it. It had a taste of anger, but it wanted fury. He was ready to give in when the feeling of cold air stopped him. Theo had unwrapped him from the suffocating bundle of fabric and now kneeled over him, an expression of concern on his face.

Liam’s chest heaved as he tried to control his breathing. His wolf was winning the fight and it scared him. He did the only thing he could think of, the only thing that had helped so far. He grabbed Theo’s arm again and yanked him down towards the floor.

“I--! Liam--! What?!”

When Theo thumped down beside him, he curled up against him, shoving his nose into Theo’s chest. As he continued taking deep breaths, the wolf backed off. He decided Theo scared it. He knew that wasn’t quite right, but it was good enough for now.

Theo tried to sit up, “Really? I can put you back on the--”

Liam pulled him back down and clung to him with the last of his strength. Now that he had what he wanted, he wasn’t letting go. His wolf was scared off and while he was still in pain, he felt a lot better.

“Ok, ok. Fine.”

Theo wrapped an arm around his shoulders again. The two of them lay on the floor in the gap between the air mattress and the bed. Liam was a little cold, except for where he was pressed up against Theo, but he didn’t really care because he felt safe.

* * *

Nolan stared at his rank. He had moved into the next tier of Diamond. Even though Liam wasn’t there, he thanked him for his help. He had been imagining what he’d say or do whenever a round or match ended and it encouraged him to push harder than he had in the past.

He’d spent most of the day thinking about Liam, actually. The way he laughed and smiled when they hung out. How his muscles felt in the hug that he’d snuck the day before. How he looked after a long afternoon practice.

He dwelled on the last thought for a while, imagining how Liam’s uniform peeled away from his skin. He pictured a drop of sweat rolling down Liam’s chest, making its way through the patch of hair on his pecs before lingering on his abs. When he thought about where it would go next he stopped himself.

His face felt hot. Actually, his whole body did. Nolan needed a friend and Liam seemed ok with that, but Nolan was starting to realize he wanted something else. He knew Liam had dated Hayden before so he didn’t really think he’d be interested. Though, Liam’s best friend was gay, so maybe he wasn’t just into girls. Nolan shook his head, that was a dumb reason to think someone might like guys too.

Nolan had no idea what he was going to do now. He really did want Liam as a friend. Could he handle it if his co-captain didn’t want more than that? Would it affect their ability to lead the lacrosse team together? Would his stupid crush ruin everything?

He took a slow breath and tried to pull away from the downward spiral. What if Liam was ok with more than friendship? Where would they go on their first date? What kind of kisser would Liam be? How often would they be able to see each other?

Nolan reeled himself back in again. He wasn’t even sure he could tell Liam how he felt, so there was no reason to dwell on the possibilities. He probably shouldn’t tell him. It would be better to have him as just a friend than not to have him around at all.

Nolan sighed. Yeah, that was probably the best bet. Nolan threw himself back onto his bed in frustration. Why did he have to be like this?

. 

* * *

Theo lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. This definitely wasn’t what he expected when he had decided to help Liam through the supermoon. He didn’t hate it. 

Liam had fallen asleep shortly after curling up on his chest and Theo didn’t want to disturb him. He could smell content in Liam’s chemosignals and preferred it to the wafts of fear and anger he’d caught so far. Plus, no one had ever snuggled with him before. He had distant memories of his parents and sister, but they were nothing like this.

In the midst of trying to figure out how he felt, Melissa opened the door to the room, “Hey, I heard some noises--”

Theo urgently brought the forefinger on his free hand to his lips, hoping she’d follow his suggestion. Thankfully, she did, but not without giving him a confused glance. Theo shrugged, careful not to shake Liam with it. Melissa gave him that look again, like she knew more than he did, before carefully stepping back out into the halfway and quietly shutting the door.

Cuddling was actually kind of nice. He hadn’t thought his first experience with it would be with a guy, but it was still good. He bunched up some of the blanket under his head into a makeshift pillow to get a little more comfortable. He wasn’t going to move Liam until he had to.

As he lay there, silently holding Liam, day turned into night. He knew the alarm would sound eventually and every part of him dreaded it. It was going to be time for a double dose next. He was honestly questioning whether Liam could handle it. He was already so weak and pale from just the single doses it was hard to imagine what two would do.

Unfortunately, his phone’s alarm started blaring from the bed. Liam let go of him to cover his ears, clearly in pain from the shrill tone. Theo scrambled to sit up, grabbing it off the bed and stopping the alarm. When the blaring was finally cut off, Liam had let go of his ears and now clung to Theo’s leg. He looked down at the shaggy hair in his lap and wondered what to do next.

“Liam, it’s time for another dose.”

Liam grunted and squeezed his leg harder.

“This was your plan.”

Liam pointed up to the bedside table. Theo looked over and realized what he must want. He grabbed the phone, plucking out the charger and offering it to the little wolf. Liam took it and opened up his messaging app, tapped something out and sent it. Theo’s phone dinged.

_ This is a terrible plan. _

Theo shook his head before responding.

_ Yeah, it is a terrible plan, but unless you have another idea you need to take more pills. _

Liam started and stopped a message a few times before getting the next one out.

_ I think you scare my wolf. _

_ I what? _

_ You scare it. When I’m close to you it goes away. _

_ I’m still confused on the wolf part. _

Theo knew things were different for him as a chimera, but he was realizing he didn’t know just how different. For him, he just called on his power and it came. Due to the Dread Doctors, he never had to worry about any of the weaknesses that came along with it. Liam kept retyping a message.

_ There’s a wolf inside me. That’s what I call it. It’s what comes out during the full moon. It takes over sometimes when I’m angry. Do you not have that? _

_ No. I don’t. Must be a chimera thing. _

_ If I’m close to you it doesn’t come out. Is that ok? _

Theo was starting to understand why Liam had so frantically kept him from moving away now. He wondered what it must be like to have something inside you fighting to get out. The only thing he could compare it to was his time in hell, with his sister Tara chasing him down no matter where he turned. He doubted it felt like getting your heart ripped out, but if it could fully take over like Liam said, that could be worse.

Theo realized he’d seen it before. He thought it was just Liam’s IED, but it must have been his wolf that had taken over back at the zoo. He’d had to knock him out so many times he was actually concerned about giving Liam brain damage.

_ It’s ok. What do you want to do? _

Theo could see Liam staring at the screen, not typing. He realized he really couldn’t come up with a plan to help because he truly had no idea what Liam was going through. He didn’t like the way that made him feel. He already had so little to offer Liam he didn’t need it to be any less, but apparently it was. Liam finally typed out a message.

_ No pills. Stay close. _

Theo wasn’t sure how he felt about the no pills part, but he knew he didn’t mind staying close. He’d enjoyed the past few hours of just that. He wouldn’t argue with a few more.

_ Ok, can we get up off the floor? _

_ Yeah. Sorry. _

_ Don’t apologize. _

Theo swiped to his alarms and disabled the next few that he’d set before plugging it into the charger. He heard Liam wince while trying to sit up, so he pulled over his duffle bag and fished out another box of the pills Melissa had given him. He popped out two of them and grabbed the glass of water from the nightstand.

“I know you said no pills, but you should probably take these.”

He offered the pair of white ovals and the water to Liam who went ahead and took them. Theo had started to get used to the little wolf’s pill ritual, even though he didn’t really understand it. He took back the glass of water after Liam’s final gulps from it, setting it back on the bedside table. Liam started struggling to stand up.

“Hey, hold on.”

Theo got up and rearranged the pillows on the bed, trying to make them more comfortable for sitting up. He turned and looked down at Liam who’d been watching him intently. It just felt right for Theo to take care of the little wolf. He knelt down beside him, checking for permission before picking him up and setting him back on the bed again.

Theo picked up the blanket that was strewn across the floor and took it with him to his seat beside Liam. As soon as he sat down Liam hugged against him and rested his head on his shoulder. Theo wrapped the blanket around them to help keep the little wolf warm. If this only lasted until the end of the supermoon, he knew he would miss it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for sticking with me after the way that last chapter ended!
> 
> See, I don't hate you guys. :D You're the best!


	6. A Day Off

Liam was trying to set up his phone so they could watch more videos when Melissa came through the door again. She had balanced two more bowls of soup in her arm trying to open the door without dropping them. When the door was fully open, she stopped for a moment and looked at him leaning against Theo on the bed. Something about the glance made him feel a little self-conscious.

He straightened up a little bit, but didn’t move away from Theo. Melissa brought the soup over to them, gingerly placing each bowl into their hands. She picked up the old bowl that was still sitting on the nightstand and seemed satisfied that it was mostly gone. Liam dug in to the new bowl. The wolfsbane was just starting to wear off and the pills Melissa gave him were starting to kick in again so he was feeling better than before.

Melissa sat down in front of Liam, “Everything ok in here?”

“Yeah.” Liam said between bites.

“How’s the pain? Scale of one to ten.”

“Six.”

“Ok, that’s better. Any new symptoms?”

“No.”

“Anything else I should know?” Melissa glanced between them.

Liam tried to decide if they should tell her he stopped taking the wolfsbane. He didn’t like the idea of lying to Mrs. McCall even if it was just by omission, but he was worried being honest would make her change her mind about letting them stay. He didn’t get to make that choice though.

Theo made it for him, “He’s not going to take anymore wolfsbane.”

“Ok, should I be worried?” Melissa raised her eyebrows at them.

“No, he says he found a way to get it under control.” Theo elbowed him.

“Yeah, it’s under control. I promise.”

“Oh, did you find an anchor?”

Melissa’s question was completely innocent. Liam was sure Scott had explained to her how the moon affected them and what they could do to stay under control, but he hadn’t even thought of that. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

“No, it’s something else.” Liam realized he sounded confused.

Melissa turned to Theo who just shrugged, “I don’t know, but it is working. From what I know he’d have already tried to rip my throat out if it wasn’t.” 

Melissa chuckled, “I doubt that.”

Liam didn’t know what she meant by that or why it was funny, but he was glad she wasn’t mad. He really didn’t want to try asking Sheriff Stilinski for help. He didn’t really feel like he knew him that well. Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue.

“So, this lasts for another day?” She continued.

“Yeah, by tomorrow night it should be over.” Theo confirmed.

“Have you told your parents you won’t be home?” Her eyes locked on Liam.

“Uh, I’ll text them.” Jeez she made him nervous.

“I’ll call them. Give me their number.” 

She pulled out her phone. Liam pulled up the number in his own phone and showed it to her. After a moment she had it saved and had tucked her phone back into her pocket. Liam looked at her with concern.

“Unless you’d rather explain that you’re going to miss school tomorrow?”

“No ma’am-- uh, Melissa.”

“Theo, can you bring those down when you’re both done?”

Theo looked at him for permission, which felt weird. Liam nodded back, signaling that whatever he wanted to do was ok. He really didn’t feel like he should be the one who said what was ok, but then he realized that’s exactly what he was supposed to be getting comfortable with. A leader has to do that a lot. He really wasn’t ready.

“Yeah, I’ll take care of it.”

“Alright, I’m going to bed soon. Wake me up if there’s an emergency.”

“Hopefully, we won’t.”

As Melissa left the room she pulled her phone back out, finding and dialing a number, “Hi! Dr. Geyer. No, this isn’t about work, actually.”

When she shut the door behind her, Liam started to relax again. He let his head fall back to Theo’s shoulder and even tried to scoot in a little closer. The pills Melissa gave him were starting to make him drowsy. He could see the exhaustion on Theo’s face too, he guessed the chimera had only had a couple hours sleep, at most, since they’d gotten here.

Liam finished the last spoonful of his soup and Theo was already taking the bowl from him.

“I’ll be quick.”

The cold air rushed over his skin as the blanket was pulled aside. Theo hadn’t even gotten off of the bed yet and he wanted him back. Liam bit his lip to try to keep himself from saying something. When Theo was out of the room he could already feel his wolf coming back.

It stalked out of the corners of his mind threatening him with dark thoughts. It made him feel like Theo was never coming back. It prowled more and more into the forefront and he did what he could to resist it, but he could feel the shift coming.

The wolf had almost convinced him that Theo had up and left him before the door to the bedroom opened and the proof otherwise stood right in front of him. Theo rushed back over to him and just like that the wolf was gone. It didn’t leave because it was afraid, it was like it was forgotten. Something else was more important.

“Are you ok?” Theo’s words sounded desperate.

“Yeah, now.” Liam hugged onto him again.

“It came back that fast?”

Liam nodded, “It’s a lot stronger than I expected.”

“We’re only a couple hours off from the peak of it. It’s going to get even worse.”

It had taken less than two minutes for the wolf to convince him to start turning. If it got any stronger he didn’t know how long he would have. He couldn’t take that risk.

“You can’t leave me again.” Liam clutched on tighter.

“I won’t.”

Liam eased off a little. He was so sleepy, especially after that fight with his wolf. He wasn’t going to be able to stay awake much longer.

“Can we lay down? I’m really tired.”

“Yeah.”

Theo rearranged the pillows and laid down on the bed. Liam curled back up against his side, letting his head rest on Theo’s chest and wrapping an arm around his stomach. Liam grinned into the firm chest as he felt an arm wrap around his back and another hand holding onto his forearm. His sense of smell was back, stronger now as the wolfsbane continued to leave his system. Theo’s scent was all he needed to finally lull himself to sleep.

* * *

Theo woke up to light creeping into the room. Liam still clung to him, fast asleep. They made it through the worst part of the supermoon. There was still another day left, but he was prepared to stick it out, especially if this was how they were going to spend it. He realized he didn’t have a nightmare last night and it was another night with Liam close by. Theo was starting to think it wasn’t just a coincidence.

He stared at the ceiling while he held the little wolf in his arms. It was so nice to lay in an actual bed again. He figured, at best, he could get one more night of comfort before he would be back to sleeping in his truck. He wasn’t looking forward to that at all.

Melissa opened the door to the room. She was dressed in scrubs with her purse over her shoulder. She seemed to be in a bit of a hurry.

“Hey, I’ve got to go to work. There’s food in the fridge. Clean up after yourselves. He’s got an excuse for the day.” She rambled off the list quickly before stepping back out and shutting the door a little too hard.

Liam started to squirm awake, nuzzling into his chest and hugging in tighter against him. Theo couldn’t resist rubbing the little wolf’s back, gently massaging the muscles. Yeah, he probably only had one more night of this. The longer it lasted the more of it he wanted, but once Liam’s wolf was back under control there wouldn’t be an excuse for more. He’d just have to look forward to each full moon, if Liam would let him help.

“Is it morning already?” Liam’s groggy voice was muffled by his chest.

“Yeah, you just have to make it through the rest of the day.”

Liam reached past his stomach for the phone laying on the bed. Theo glanced over to see his own phone still charging on the nightstand. He watched Liam unlock and scroll through a couple texts, before huffing and dropping it back onto the bed.

“Everything ok?”

“My parents just said they hope I feel better.”

“So, everything’s ok then.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“When you’re hungry Melissa said there’s food in her fridge.”

“You’re not going to leave me again?” Liam sounded scared.

“You know you can leave this room right?”

Liam paused and sighed, “Fine.”

Theo rolled his eyes, but he didn’t really want to leave either. He wanted to take advantage of the free food, but he wanted to relish this time with Liam too. The more he thought about it, the more he realized what was happening. He had started to play with the ends of Liam’s hair, twirling it on a fingertip.

“Theo?”

Shit. He stopped and let his hand move down to Liam’s back again, “What’s up?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome?” Theo wondered where this was coming from.

“I just...” Liam scrunched against him, “I know this has been weird. So, thanks for putting up with me.”

Theo frowned at the idea that Liam thought he was a burden. I mean, he was, but he shouldn’t feel that way. Besides, Theo liked being able to carry him. It made him feel useful in a world where he wasn’t sure he belonged.

The other thing that made Theo feel a little sad was that this felt weird to Liam, because it felt natural to him. He’d spent so much time fighting to keep Liam safe that he couldn’t imagine a place safer for him than in his arms like this. Maybe one day Liam would feel better about it.

“Well, you have been kind of a brat.” Theo needed to say something to get himself used to the idea this wasn’t going to last.

“Hey!” Liam kicked his calf.

“Ow!”

The two of them started to wrestle on the bed. The blankets ended up tossed to the floor as Theo tried to pin Liam. They fought for a few minutes before Theo finally tripped up Liam and was holding him down, the little wolf still trying to wriggle out of the hold.

“Say it.” Theo was staring him down.

“Say what?” Liam kept struggling.

“Say that you’re a brat!”

“No!”

Theo locked him down tighter, their faces inches apart, “Say. It.”

“Fine! I’m a brat.” Liam huffed, “Happy?!”

Theo smiled, “Yep!”

Theo let him go, got up off of the bed and watched Liam rub his arm. The wolfsbane had definitely worn off while they slept, Liam had almost won. He was glad he didn’t though, Liam probably would have been insufferable for the rest of the day.

“Ugh, you weren’t wrong.” Liam said as he stood up.

“That you’re a brat? I know.”

“No, asshole, Scott’s scent.”

Liam was already grabbing one of the discarded blankets. Theo helped him spread it back over the bed masking the smell of Scott with his own. He definitely liked the idea that Liam seemed to prefer his scent.

“Alright, let’s go figure out what’s for breakfast.” Theo suggested.

Liam grabbed a hold of his forearm, “Ok, but, let’s stay close.”

* * *

“Mr. Holloway, care to come up to the board and try your hand at the problem.” Mrs. Fletcher sounded annoyed.

Nolan realized he’d been daydreaming again. He looked up to see everyone else in the class staring at him. He glanced down where he’d been detailing the letters in Liam’s. He slowly closed the notebook and looked up to the board where a math problem was waiting to be solved.

He got out of his seat and walked up to the chalkboard, tentatively grabbing a piece of chalk. He stepped back and looked at it again, following the steps he remembered from the homework. After about a minute he’d written his answer on the board.

“Very good, Mr. Holloway.” She sounded upset that he’d actually solved it.

The bell sounded and everyone who hadn’t already grabbed their supplies and left was shoving things into their bag so they could do the same. Nolan headed back to his seat with Mrs. Fletcher following him. He started packing up his backpack.

“I’m glad that you understand the work Nolan, but I really need you to pay more attention in class.”

“Sorry, Mrs. Fletcher.”

“Well, let’s hope you’re less distracted tomorrow morning.”

She watched him zip up his backpack as he headed out into the hall. Nolan was thankful he had an early free period. He worked his way through the sea of students to the library. There weren’t any free tables so he grabbed a corner of one where a couple other students sat, setting his backpack on it as he sat down.

“Hi.” Nolan looked between the other two students.

They looked at him, then back to each other before picking up their stuff and leaving without a response. Nolan had expected to be ignored, but that kind of hurt. He pulled one of the books out of his backpack and started to reread the last chapter they were assigned to.

A stack of books slammed down on the vacant end of the table. “Hey,” it was Mason, “Have you seen Liam?”

“Uh, not since Saturday.”

“He’s not responding to my texts.” As Mason added that, Corey took the other seat.

Nolan started to get anxious. Mason was Liam’s best friend, he should know better than anyone if Liam was ok. He was really starting to worry about that ‘werewolf stuff’, his stomach was in knots.

“He texted me yesterday.” Nolan could tell they could see the worry on his face.

“What did he say?” Corey asked.

“Uh,” Nolan was a little flustered, “He said not to worry.”

“Wow, alright, is there anything else you can tell us?” Mason looked concerned.

“Like what? What’s going on?”

“Last night was the full moon--”

Nolan interrupted, “Wait, that’s actually a thing?”

“Yeah, and it was a really bad one last night.”

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to help.” Nolan’s leg started to bounce.

“Do you remember anything weird from Saturday?”

He hated being put on the spot, “I mean he said a friend was picking him up because of,” he leaned in to whisper the next part, “‘werewolf stuff’.”

“Do you remember who picked him up?” Corey raised his eyebrows.

“No.” Nolan frowned.

“Damn.” Mason pulled out his phone and checked it.

Nolan realized there was something, “Uh, I know they picked him up in a blue truck?”

Mason and Corey looked at eachother, “Theo?” they said the name at the same time.

“Are you sure?” Mason looked at him like he was crazy.

“Pretty sure.” Nolan.

Mason started punching out text, “Hey, thanks.”

Mason got up out of his seat and started walking off. Corey grabbed the books Mason had dropped on the table and followed after him with an awkward smile and a nod to Nolan. He watched the two of them head out of the library talking back and forth.

“You’re welcome...” Nolan whispered to himself.

He pulled out his own phone and sent a text to Liam.

_ Are you still ok? _

He started to feel sick. Did something happen to Liam? Why did he know more about his whereabouts than his best friend? What the hell was going on? He rushed to the bathroom, he was definitely going to be sick.

* * *

“Are you going to shut that thing off before or after I break it?” Theo glared at him.

Liam’s phone had been dinging every few minutes. Mason kept messaging him asking where he was. This last one had definitely taken him by surprise. Somehow, Mason figured out he was with Theo and he was trying to figure out how. The mystery only lasted for a few moments, because when Nolan texted to check in on him he figured it out. Tomorrow was going to be interesting to say the least. 

He typed out the same message to both of them. 

_ I’m fine, see you tomorrow. _

He could feel Theo’s glare as he held the button to shut his phone off. When it had fully powered down he showed him the black screen, then shoved it back in his pocket. Theo went back to cooking, seemingly satisfied with the gesture. He sat at the kitchen island watching him, waiting for his wolf to act up, but it didn’t come out as long as Theo was in the room. He was still on his toes and definitely would feel safer once he could be closer to him again. Once the supermoon was over he could stop worrying about the distance.

After just a few more minutes, Theo set two bowls and two plates down on the island and walked around it to sit beside Liam. He’d cooked grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. It looked really good.

Theo nudged him, “Don’t tell me you’re suddenly not hungry.”

“Oh, sorry.” Liam picked up one of the sandwiches and bit off a corner.

They ate together quietly. After watching Theo dip his sandwich in the soup a few times, he tried it himself and it was surprisingly tasty. Liam had heard about the combination before, but it wasn’t something his parents ever made. About halfway through the meal, Theo had stopped eating for a bit and it almost looked like he had to will himself to go ahead and finish his food. He thought it was kind of weird, but didn’t really think much of it. Eventually they finished their meal and Liam washed the dishes while Theo dried them. 

“Alright, we still have more than half the day to kill. What’s next, little wolf?”

Liam still wasn’t sure what to make of that nickname. He didn’t hate it, but he didn’t really expect it from Theo. He’d never heard him say anything like that without a heavy dose of sarcasm, but both times he said it had been more playful than sarcastic. He tried to decide if he should be worried about Theo being playful, but it was just too weird to think about.

“I don’t think she has any video games.” Liam was washing the last dish.

“Yeah, probably not.”

“Well, she does have a TV.”

“And a pristine living room. I honestly don’t want to do any more cleaning.”

“Do you have any ideas then?” Liam rinsed off the plate and handed it to Theo.

“I don’t spend much time inside these days.” Theo wiped the plate dry and stacked it with the other one.

“That’s not an idea.”

Theo was putting the dishes away, “You’re the one that gets to skip a day of school. There isn’t anything you want to do?”

“Honestly, I’m just sick of being around everyone. It just doesn’t feel like anyone actually cares about me anymore.” Liam could see Theo pause after putting the last dish away, “Come on, you know that I’m not including you.”

“You think I don’t know better after this weekend?”

Liam laughed. A real honest to goodness laugh. It had really only been a weekend so far. He’d run into Theo on Friday night and so much had happened since then. It felt like a lot anyways. He certainly hadn’t been expecting to cling to Theo because his life depended on it. As he let the laugh trail off he could tell the chimera didn’t understand why he was laughing.

“That’s what you find funny? We really need to work on your sense of humor.”

“Sorry, it’s just... It’s been a crazy weekend.”

“Yes, it has and it’s not over yet. So, figure out what you want to do.”

* * *

Nolan had gotten a text back a lot faster than he expected. Not fast enough to avoid losing his breakfast in the bathroom though. He was still anxious but about different things. He’d been trying to keep an eye out for Mason or Corey, but hadn’t seen either of them since the library and he didn’t want them to do another pop up interrogation.

With Liam out for the day he was going to have to captain alone at practice this afternoon and he wasn’t looking forward to it. He didn’t feel like anyone respected him anymore. Without Liam’s natural charisma to back him up, it was going to be impossible to actually lead the team. He tried to think of some way to get out of it, but none of his ideas were good enough.

“Nolan!” Coach FInstock’s voice boomed over the crowd of students milling through the halls, “Get over here!”

The coach was standing in the doorway to his office and made sure to catch his eye. He pushed his way over to the door to the coach’s office. When he finally made it there he could see the coach seated at his desk, going through some paperwork.

“Yes, coach?” Nolan sat across from him.

“Have you seen Liam today?” The coach hadn’t looked up even once.

“No, uh, I think he’s out sick today.”

“Out sick, huh? Well that makes this easier.”

“Makes what easier, coach?”

“I’m cancelling practice today. I’ve got some personal things to take care of and my assistant coach hasn’t been around for a while.” He looked up, “I really should fire him.”

“Coach, Scott left for college. Weeks ago.”

“Did he? More reason to fire him.”

“Is that all, coach?”

“Wednesday’s practice too. I’m going to be out for a while and I don’t trust some substitute to manage my team. I still remember what happened last time.”

The bell rang.

“You heard that right? Go on, kid.”

“Coach, that was the late bell.”

“You better get moving then.”

Nolan looked around at the cramped office nervously. This wasn’t the first time Coach Finstock had kept him late with something that could have just been an announcement. He was going to have to ask him directly.

“Can I get a late pass, coach?”

“Yeah sure, let me just...” He started opening and shutting the drawers on his desk until he found something, “Here we go!”

Finstock scribbled out a note and added a signature before quickly tearing off the sheet and handing it to him. Nolan stood up and heaved his backpack onto his shoulder and looked out into the empty hallway. He looked at the note and saw that Coach had rounded up the time. At least he didn’t have to rush to History.

“Thanks, coach.”

“Yeah, yeah. Get out of here kid.”

Nolan stepped out into the vacant halls. Beacon Hills High wasn’t so bad when it felt like he was the only person here. He headed off to his history class, but took his time.

No practice was good. He texted Liam letting him know that practice would be cancelled for a couple days. That was one less thing to worry about.

He was still anxious about Liam. He didn’t think he’d actually feel like Liam was ok until he saw him again in person, but he still didn’t know what he was going to do the next time he saw him. He’d convinced himself he’d just leave it at friends, but his daydreams kept telling him otherwise. Either way, he could figure it out later. He’d made it to his history class.

* * *

Theo was pleasantly surprised with Liam’s suggestion to watch more videos up in Scott’s room. Sure they’d already done that a lot, but it worked. Plus, he liked learning more about Liam’s interests. He had to admit, he also liked that Liam would lean against him to make sure they could both see the screen.

The more time they spent together the more Theo was glad he didn’t have a wolf inside him like Liam did. Liam seemed truly terrified of it during this supermoon, staying as close to him as possible to keep it away. He didn’t need anything else to worry about.

“Do you think we should make some dinner for Melissa when she gets back from work?” Liam’s question came out of nowhere.

“You mean, do you think I can make her some dinner?”

“I can cook.”

“Can you? What’s the last thing you cooked Liam?”

“Scrambled eggs.”

“And what’s the best thing you’ve ever cooked?”

Liam shifted his eyes to the floor, “Scrambled eggs.”

“Thought so.” Theo continued before Liam could respond, “Don’t worry I’ll make dinner tonight. It’s the least we can do.”

Melissa had given them a comfortable and safe place to stay. Theo had gotten to sleep on a real bed instead of instead of his truck. She’d also fed them. Hot home cooked food was a nice alternative to the cold stale bits of old breakfast in his glove compartment. As far as he was concerned, anything they could do to make her life easier for a little while paled in comparison to what she’d done for him.

“Thanks.” Liam said sheepishly.

“Oh don’t thank me yet, you’re doing all the cleaning.” Theo wrapped an arm around Liam and pulled him tight against him.

Liam scoffed, “Fine.”

They watched videos for the next several hours with Liam curled against him on the bed. The supermoon’s effects should have been waning, but the little wolf wouldn’t leave his side and he certainly didn’t mind. He’d been there when Liam needed him before, and he’d keep being there regardless of the threat.

Theo wanted to just hug Liam, to hold him without the pretext of a joke or sarcasm, but he knew that if, for Liam, just being close was strange that any amount of real affection was going to ruin things. So he let Liam have control and made sure he was accepting of whatever made the little wolf comfortable. This mostly meant Theo was a headrest, which, again, he definitely didn’t mind.

An hour or so after night fell, he could hear Melissa’s car pull up to the house. Liam had nodded off a little bit ago, so Theo carefully shook him awake. He watched him sit back up slowly, clearly still tired.

“Hey, Melissa’s home. Better get those cleaning skills ready.” Theo chuckled.

“Yeah, yeah.”

He got up off the bed and moments later Liam was standing beside him, hands clasped around his forearm. He turned to look and had to stifle a laugh. Liam’s hair had bunched up on the side he’d kept leaning against him. He thought about trying to help him fix it, but filed that under the ‘too weird’ category, before he led them downstairs.

* * *

When he saw Melissa looking at them as they got to the bottom of the stairs, Liam got self-conscious again. He let his hands fall away from Theo’s arm and opted to just follow closely instead. It took him a couple minutes before he could look her in the face again.

“Good, you’re both ok.” She said as she finished taking off her shoes.

“Yep.” Liam nodded.

“This thing ends tonight? The supermoon?”

“Yeah. You’re still ok with us staying another night?” Theo asked tentatively.

“I am.” She scanned the various rooms around them, “Thanks for keeping the place clean.”

“Hey, um, Melissa,” Liam paused when she turned to him, “We wanted to make you dinner. If that’s ok? I mean, Theo’s going to cook and I’ll clean up after, but we’d have to use your food.”

“You know, I can’t remember the last time someone cooked something for me. Have at it. I’m going to go change.” Melissa headed off to her room.

Without Melissa there Liam found his hands on Theo’s arm again. He knew he needed to be close to him for the supermoon, but why did he feel weird when she saw them like that? He didn't have any time to think about it before he was being dragged off to the kitchen.

He’d had to let go again so Theo could actually cook. He still stayed close, grabbing whatever ingredients were needed or throwing away any trash whenever he was asked. He also tried to get a little ahead on the cleaning where he could. Oddly, it reminded him of when they fought against the hunters in the hospital. No one was getting clawed or shot, of course. It was more about how they seemed to work together so easily, falling into a natural sort of rhythm.

Melissa came back to the kitchen as Theo was finishing up putting food on their plates, her hair clearly damp from a shower. Liam had already put away the couple extra servings that Theo had put into tupperware, first. He assumed they were for Melissa to take to work for lunch in the next couple days.

“So, what’s on the menu tonight?” She said as she took one of the stools at the island.

“It’s just some chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. Nothing special.” Theo was putting a now empty pot back on the cold stove.

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong, it is special. I didn’t have to cook it!” Melissa laughed as she pulled a plate closer and took the utensils Liam handed her.

Liam pulled a stool around so he could sit next to Theo while they ate. The first few minutes of the meal were silent as everyone seemed eager to get some food in their stomachs. They’d waited to eat so they’d still be hungry when she got home and it had definitely taken longer than they expected. He could only imagine what one of Melissa’s shifts at the hospital was like. Any time he’d come to see her there she always seemed so busy. So he figured she was probably just as hungry as they were.

“Melissa,” Liam set his fork down, “Thanks again for letting us stay here and for calling my parents.”

She gestured with her fork as she spoke, “Well, who am I to say no to Beacon Hills new alpha?”

Liam cringed, he still didn’t feel like he lived up to that title, “Still... thanks.”

“It’s not a problem. Honestly, the two of you have been quieter and cleaner than Scott ever was.” She laughed.

“Just trying to respect our host.” Theo gave a single nod towards Melissa.

“Well, you’ve both been great guests.” She seemed to stare at Theo when she said it.

They made small talk as they all finished the meal. Liam could see Theo sort of force himself to keep eating again. He was really starting to wonder what that was about. Once everyone was done with their plates, Liam collected them and started washing them along with the pots and pan he hadn’t cleaned yet. True to his word Theo didn’t lift a finger to help, reminding him what he’d agreed to. He listened as the two of them talked about the next morning.

“I told Dr. Geyer he’d be home in the morning to get ready for school. Can you make sure I didn’t lie to him?” Melissa asked Theo.

“I can do that. I’ll set an alarm.”

“Good, then I want you to come back here ok? There’s something we still need to talk about.”

Liam glanced back as he dried one of the pots. He couldn’t see Theo’s face, but he could tell that he was tense. He wasn’t sure what Melissa could possibly want to talk to him about, but if she’d wanted Liam to know she would already be discussing it.

“Yeah.” Theo sounded as tense as he looked.

“Ok, I’m going to bed. You two should probably consider going to bed yourselves soon. Since you’ll need to be up pretty early.”

“We will.” Liam chimed in, “Once I’m done cleaning up.”

“Alright, then good night.” Melissa left the two of them alone together again.

Liam finished up the dishes, making sure everything was put back where it came from. Theo watched him without a word, still carrying the tension from Melissa’s question. Once he was done Theo got up from his seat and Liam grabbed a hold of his forearm, and they went back up to Scott’s old room.

Theo adjusted the pillows for them again and took a spot towards the middle of the bed. Liam crawled in after him and let his head rest on the chimera’s shoulder. Theo’s scent had gotten stronger and he could smell a bit of anxiousness mixed in with it. He could feel some of the tension melt away as he got as close as he could to keep his wolf away. They still had a few more hours of the supermoon after all. The last thing he remembered before he fell asleep was Theo’s arm wrapping around him. He was glad Theo was ok with helping him keep his wolf away. He didn’t know what he would have done without him.


	7. The Pack

The sound of the alarm woke Liam up. At some point in the night, Theo must have turned in his sleep because Liam was wrapped in both of his arms. As the alarm continued, Theo rolled onto his back again, releasing the hold. Liam slowly sat up and watched Theo try to blindly grab his phone from the nightstand, until he gave up, opened his eyes and tapped it to stop the alarm.

“Morning.” Liam stretched.

Theo huffed, “Morning.” The word sounded strangely sad.

Liam had made it through the supermoon, notably, with Theo’s help. Granted they’d started out with his awful plan, but eventually found a better way. He wondered if it would work during a regular full moon.

Theo pulled his phone off the charger and sat up, “You ready to go?”

Not really, “Yeah, I guess.”

When they both got up off the bed he could see Theo considering the duffle bag and the blankets, before ultimately leaving them in the room. He slipped his phone into his pocket and pulled out his keys. Liam grabbed his own phone, stuffed it into his jeans and double checked that he had his wallet and house keys. Everything was accounted for.

As Theo headed for the door he still wanted to grab his arm, but why? The supermoon was over. He didn’t need Theo to scare his wolf away anymore. He really didn’t know what that was about.

“Are you coming?” Theo was already halfway down the hall.

“Yeah, sorry.” Liam hustled a bit and caught up to him at the bottom of the stairs.

The two of them stepped out of Melissa’s house into the morning air. It felt cool on Liam’s skin, but the moisture in it clung to him, making him realize just how much he could use a shower. The sun was just starting to dissolve the darkness of night, some of the brighter stars still twinkling in the sky.

Liam climbed up into the passenger seat and buckled himself in, watching as Theo rounded the front of the truck before hopping into the driver’s seat. The engine roared to life, cutting into the silence of the dawn. The truck rocked as Theo pulled them out onto the road and gently vibrated as he continued down the street.

The drive didn’t take long, but the fact that neither of them spoke made it feel longer. Liam felt like he should say something, but he didn’t even know where to begin. The truck shook again, this time on the edge of Liam’s driveway, and then another subtle jerk as Theo put it in park.

Liam unbuckled his seatbelt, “Thanks.”

“Yeah.”

Theo’s voice had that strange sadness again. Liam wondered if maybe he was just tired. He let himself down from the seat and shut the door just a little too softly. He had to reopen it, then shut it a harder to properly close it. He walked up to the door, every step feeling heavier than the next. It was time to go back to his regular life and he still wasn’t ready, but he didn’t have a choice. He fished out his house key, unlocked the door and stepped inside.

* * *

Theo watched Liam disappear behind the front door. He let his forehead drop to the top of the steering wheel. The supermoon was over and Liam made it through without hurting anyone. Well, almost.

Theo sat back up and took a deep breath, then let it out slowly through his nose. He needed to go back to Melissa’s. There was something she wanted to talk with him about and he had no idea what it was. He told himself if he'd packed up all his stuff this morning he could just not go back, but he knew that wasn’t true. She’d done both him and Liam a huge favor and he couldn’t ghost her after that.

A window on the top floor lit up and he guessed it must be Liam’s room. He stared at the ceiling on the other side of the glass for a minute before finally starting to pull out of the driveway. He was on autopilot for the drive back to Melissa’s. He kept thinking about how his arm felt cold without Liam’s hands wrapped around it. How it was going to take him longer to bring himself to wash the blankets now that they had Liam’s scent on them too. How it felt to be needed by someone.

The stars had gone back into hiding by the time he made it back to Melissa’s. The sun high enough in the sky to push away any thought of night. The supermoon, and everything it brought with it, now gone.

He parked and cut the engine. The stillness of the truck amplified the silence as he stared at the house for a few minutes. He reluctantly got out of his truck, shutting the door and catching his disheveled appearance in a reflection on the window. He tried to tame his hair with his fingers, but it didn’t accomplish much. Theo trudged back up to Melissa’s house, steeling himself for whatever it was she might want to talk about.

When he opened the door, he immediately felt the urge to run. His instincts screamed that he walked into an ambush and they weren’t alone, the reasoning parts of his brain agreed. He wasn’t ready, but this was happening whether he wanted it to or not. Melissa was in the kitchen waiting for him, but Scott and Malia were there with her.

* * *

Nolan had finished getting ready extra early today. He’d already had breakfast. He considered fitting in some ranked matches, but instead found himself staring at his phone. His texts with Liam specifically. His message about the cancelled practice was still showing as not received and it bothered him. Liam had said he was ok, but that little thing was really making him feel otherwise.

While he was looking at it, the symbol changed from sent to received, but after waiting for a few more minutes he didn’t get a response. He didn’t know if it was a good idea, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing it. He sent another text.

_ Do you want a ride to school today? _

The sooner he could see that Liam really was ok, the better he would feel. It didn’t hurt that if he said yes, he’d get more time with him too. Maybe it could even be a regular thing, he definitely wouldn’t mind spending his mornings with Liam.

The dots that showed that Liam was typing appeared and danced on his screen. His anxiety rose even higher as he waited for the message to come through. He thought it might be a relief when he got a response but somehow it stressed him out even more.

_ Sure. I’m almost ready. _

He fired off a quick response.

_ Ok, I’m on my way. _

The fact that Liam responded probably meant that he was ok. He was happy that he’d get to see him, but worried that he might make a fool of himself. He really hoped he wouldn’t say something stupid.

“I’m leaving for school!” he shouted into the house from the front door.

He shut the door behind him, accidentally slamming it in his excitement. He hurried to his car, starting it up and heading off towards Liam’s house. His left leg shook the whole way there and when he pulled up to the driveway Liam was already waiting outside.

Liam got into the car and the smell of his soap and shampoo filled the small space. Nolan could see that his hair was still a bit damp too, the curls at the ends just starting to lift as they dried. Liam smelled nice, but he always did, whether it was freshly showered or after a long day on the field, didn’t matter to Nolan.

“Hey, Thanks.” Liam still sounded tired or maybe worn out, he wasn’t sure.

“Yeah, uh, no problem.”

Nolan was relieved to see Liam in person, alive, and seemingly just fine. The ‘werewolf stuff’ hadn’t taken his new friend from him. He was thankful for that.

“You didn’t miss much in history. We, um, just started the chapter on ancient Greece.”

“Ok, good.” Liam sounded as disinterested as he looked.

“And I know you saw my message on practice being cancelled.”

“Yeah. We should probably still at least work out.”

“I could give you a ride home today too. If you want?” Nolan wondered if you could hear his nervousness.

“Ok.”

The rest of the ride was quiet except for the radio playing in the car. Nolan had to keep focusing on stopping his leg from shaking. He kept trying to think of something more to say or talk about, but when he played it out in his head everything just sounded dumb or awkward.

They’d made it to school before he could come up with something. Both of them got out of the car and pulled their backpacks onto their shoulders. Nolan still didn’t know what to say.

“Thanks again.” Liam turned towards the school.

“Yeah, uh, no problem. See you in History.”

Nolan watched him walk off towards the school. How was he supposed to keep him as a friend if he couldn’t even have a normal conversation with him? His eyes drifted down below Liam’s back and he stood there staring until a group of students moved between them. He shook his head and started heading in towards Math class.

* * *

Theo had cautiously taken a seat at Melissa’s direction. He was still incredibly tense and the fact that Scott and Malia stayed standing didn’t help. Scott was clearly trying to figure something out, it was all over his face. Malia, on the other hand, just glared at him. She never did like him. Maybe it was because he was part coyote and that made her territorial or how he’d betrayed her at Fort Jewitt or that technically he’d killed her alpha and now boyfriend once before or it could be all of the that.

Scott spoke first, “Hey, uh, thanks for looking after Liam.”

“You mean poisoning him?” Malia growled.

“Malia, it was Liam’s idea and Deaton’s the one who made the pills.” Scott’s eyes flicked to the glass bottle that now sat next to Melissa.

“He still fed him poison when he didn’t have to.”

“Mom, can you take Malia with you to the store? I’d like to talk to Theo alone.”

“I’m not leaving you alone with him!” Her eyes flashed with blue.

“Malia. Please. I’ll be fine.” Scott locked eyes with her while he spoke.

“Come on hun, let’s go get some groceries.” Melissa got up and grabbed her purse.

Scott took the now empty seat as Melissa guided Malia out of the house. The werecoyote kept glancing back and giving Theo a death glare as they left. Theo swore he could feel her trying to stare him down even through the closed door.

Scott’s words pulled his attention back into the kitchen, “I mean it. Thank you.”

“It wasn’t a big deal.”

Theo was uncomfortable. Scott thanking him felt wrong. In fact, the only thing that felt right about this so far was Malia’s anger. He knew he deserved that.

“We both know how...” Scott clearly wanted to be careful with what word he chose next, “intense Liam can be. The supermoon was only going to make that worse.”

Theo knew what he was trying to say, but he hadn’t really seen any of that lately. The Liam he’d spent most of the weekend with seemed kind of distant and quiet at first, not the ball of anger and determination he’d gotten used to. And then there was the last day and a half where Liam had definitely been intense, but not remotely how Scott had meant it. He’d learned a lot about what the little wolf was interested in and hadn’t been allowed to leave his side for anything. He was suddenly worried about how much Melissa had told Scott.

“Yeah, well I helped him figure it out.”

“Mom, told me that he stopped taking the pills before the peak of the supermoon.”

Theo nodded, he could tell Scott was trying to get at something, “That was his idea too.”

“Ok, so how did he avoid the supermoon then?”

“He said I scare his wolf or whatever.” Theo was made more uncomfortable by the edge of confusion on Scott’s face.

“He said you scare it?” The true alpha was looking through him.

“That’s what he said.”

“Did he describe it at all?”

“He said it just went away when I was around him.” Theo tried shifting the focus of the conversation, “I didn’t realize you guys had to deal with something like that.”

Scott was clearly working at piecing something together, “Yeah, it can be pretty tough to control sometimes. I guess you don’t?”

“No, apparently not. Benefit of being a science experiment I guess.”

“So, what exactly did you two do the last two days? How did you scare his wolf?”

“All I did was stay close to him.” Very, very close.

“That’s it?”

“Well, I made sure he ate too. Your beta needs to learn to cook.” Theo was trying to deflect again.

Of course, Scott wasn’t taking the bait, “That’s really it?”

“Yes, Scott, that’s it.”

He was starting to get riled up. He could tell Scott knew something that he didn’t and wasn’t planning on sharing that info. He got why he didn’t trust him enough to explain, but it was frustrating regardless.

“I’m glad he didn’t hurt anyone.”

Theo knew there was at least one person Liam had hurt, even if he hadn’t meant to, “Your little beta’s eyes are still nice and gold, don’t worry.”

Scott seemed caught off guard by the sudden snark, “Yeah, good.”

“So, can I get my stuff and go then? Is the interrogation over?”

“Actually, Mom wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Does she need to interrogate me too?”

“Not exactly.”

Theo was starting to get really pissed off by Scott’s secrecy, “Then what? Did I do something wrong? What the hell is this all about?”

“I’d really rather let her talk to you.”

“Fine. I’m going to go pack up my stuff. Feel free to supervise if you have to.”

Theo got up quickly, almost knocking over the stool he’d been sitting on. He stormed up the stairs and into Scott’s room. Once he was inside he listened for footsteps, but the only other sound in the house was Scott still sitting at the kitchen island downstairs and what might have been the faint taps of him texting on his phone.

Theo gathered his things back into the duffle bag, wrapping the handles around the small pillow. He grabbed up the blanket that he and Liam had slept under to start folding it, but when he caught the little wolf’s scent he stopped for a few moments to breathe it in and try to calm down. It helped, but he was still angry. Rolling up the air mattress took longer than he expected, trying to get the air out as he went without popping it required more patience than he wanted to give it. Once that was done, he looked at the last blanket, the barrier keeping Scott’s scent from filling the room. He put his stuff in the hall before taking that blanket off the bed and shutting the door behind him. As he finished folding it up he could hear Melissa’s car in the driveway again. Theo figured it was time for another uncomfortable conversation.

* * *

Liam left his first class with the mass of other students. The substitute had asked if he was going to turn his homework in and he realized that was a conversation he was going to be having in all of his classes. He hadn’t touched his homework at all this past weekend. Maybe the real teachers would give him an extension like the sub had.

His early free period was next. He’d taken it so he and Mason could study together, but he wasn’t sure he was ready to talk to Mason. He still hadn’t really responded to the dozens of texts he’d gotten the past couple days. He figured Mason would probably be in the library with Corey like usual, so he headed out to the lacrosse field hoping to avoid them for now.

“Liam! Hey!” Mason’s voice cut through the din of students in the hallway.

Liam sighed and just kept walking out of the building. He took a spot on the bleachers knowing that Mason and probably Corey would catch up to him pretty quickly. Sure enough, the pair didn’t take long to find him.

“Liam, what the hell man?” Mason sat down next to him.

“What?” Liam’s voice came out meaner than he wanted it to.

“Why didn’t you respond to my texts?”

“I responded.” He had, kind of.

“Dude, seriously, what’s going on?”

“I had a long weekend, ok.”

“Yeah, I’m aware. It was in my texts. Did you read them?”

“Honestly, not yet.” He’d stopped after the first twenty or so.

“Look, you know how I get. I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“He was really worried about you.” Corey added, “And, I was too.”

“Are you ok?” Mason had calmed himself down a bit.

“I’m fine.”

“How did you make it through the supermoon? I mean, the last regular full moon was pretty bad. It couldn’t have been easy.”

Liam knew they were already aware he’d been with Theo thanks to Nolan, “Theo helped me out.”

“Yeah, but like, how?”

“Why does it matter?” Liam was being defensive and he could tell it was starting to really upset Mason.

“Because if Corey and I need to help with another full moon it might make it easier? We just want to help.”

“Unless you can scare my wolf into hiding like Theo can then you’re out of luck.”

“Scare your wolf?”

“Yeah, I don’t know, it just went into hiding when he was around, ok?”

“Huh, ok. Never thought about that. So, you’re really ok, nothing happened?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. The wolfsbane is out of my system.” Why did he just say that?

“Wolfsbane?! What?”

Liam explained his plan, how Deaton had helped by making him the pills and how he’d stayed at Melissa’s house. Mason nodded along occasionally asking questions. Corey just seemed satisfied to sit back and listen.

“Wait, but where does Theo factor in to any of this?” Mason asked.

“He was there the whole time. He’s the one who drove us to Deaton’s and Melissa’s.” And took care of him and took his pain.

“Wow, ok. Well, I’m glad you’re alright.” Mason sounded genuine.

“Yeah.”

“Did you want to hang out after school? It feels like forever since we’ve seen each other outside of school.”

Liam didn’t know if he was quite ready, so he was glad he had an excuse to avoid that, “Sorry, I already told Nolan I’d work out with him after school today.

“Ok. Um, text me when you can?”

“Sure.” Liam nodded.

“Hey do you have your chemistry book? We can catch you up on yesterday.”

Liam pulled the thick textbook out of his backpack. Mason and Corey spent the rest of the free period helping him understand what they’d gone over the day before. He could tell Mason still wanted to ask about the weekend, but was glad that he seemed to hold them in. For the next few minutes he felt like he had his best friend back. Maybe he would text him for that hangout.

* * *

Theo sat down on the sofa and set all of his things down beside him. Melissa had already taken a seat in one of the chairs across from him. He was still kind of mad about the ambush this morning, but he tried to convince himself it was Scott’s idea and not hers. Scott had taken the other seat, while Malia stayed in the kitchen. He knew she didn’t want to be around him.

“Theo, I wanted to talk about your... situation.” Melissa was trying to be careful.

“You told him?” Theo glared towards Scott.

“Look, after what you said to me I needed to talk some things out and Scott helped me with that.”

She reached over and squeezed Scott’s forearm for just a moment. That small sign of affection caught him off guard for a moment. He immediately thought about Liam grabbing his own arm.

“So, what is this then?”

“I-- We want to help you.”

“I don’t need your help.” Theo almost snarled, but he just barely kept it in check.

“Theo, what’s your plan then?” Melissa asked.

“I’ll find a job. I just need to make some money.”

“Yeah, but where are you going to sleep? How are you going to eat or shower?” Scott asked.

“I’ve been sleeping just fine in my truck and I can shower at the gym.” Eating on the other hand.

“Wouldn’t you rather have somewhere to stay?”

Melissa might actually be concerned about him, but Scott had this frown on his face like somehow he cared too. Theo couldn’t believe this, all of a sudden he gave a shit about his life? No, he wasn’t going to buy that. He shouldered the duffle bag and grabbed the blankets with his other arm.

“I’ve got somewhere to stay.” Theo said as he stood up.

“Dude, just let us help you.” Scott shrugged.

“Too little, too late, Scott.” He started towards the door.

“Theo?”

“Let him go.” Melissa’s voice was calm.

He stormed past the kitchen where he and Malia traded angry glares, before stepping out of the house. He kicked the door shut behind him, the sound of it slamming shut was satisfying. He opened the door to his truck and tossed the duffle into the passenger seat and the blankets into the back. He jammed the key into the ignition and backed out onto the street, his tires squealing against Melissa’s driveway and then again on the main road as he sped off down the street.

He drove for a while, he wasn’t sure exactly where he was going, just that it was away from that house. Away from the alpha that had rejected him. Away from the looks of pity Scott and Melissa had been giving him.

He didn’t fucking need them. He could figure this out on his own and he would. Besides, he’d been the one to take care of Liam. Where was Scott then? If he couldn’t take care of his own beta, how in the hell would he take care of an omega?

He grabbed a space at the edge of a busy grocery store parking lot. His stomach had started to rumble and the realization that his only food had been sitting in the glove compartment for over three days. He opened it and a foul stench wafted out. He pulled out the pancakes first, unwrapping them to find they’d molded all over. Next, the half of a sandwich, the muffin on the outside had molded as well and the egg had clearly turned. The bacon was salvageable though, so he pulled that out and ate it, hoping to calm his stomach a little. He threw the rotten food into a trash can next to a nearby shopping cart corral.

When he climbed back into his truck, he slouched forward, head resting against the top of the steering wheel. Without money, his options for food were going to be limited to mostly dumpster diving tonight. Once he calmed down he could head to the gym, work out, shower, and refill the water bottle that Liam had left in the console. He was going to be fine.

* * *

The school day went about as ok as it could for Nolan. He was glad to see Liam in History class after his seat had been empty the day before even if it was incredibly distracting. After that, the day sort of dragged on until he met back up with Liam in the locker room for the afternoon workout they’d discussed that morning.

As they both got changed Nolan couldn’t keep his eyes to himself. That is, until he realized what his body wanted to do while he stole those looks. He was really starting to regret agreeing to this as he tried to keep control of things below his belt.

The workout itself was pretty standard, nothing too stressful or strenuous. Nolan wanted to watch Liam, but watching his muscles move and the sweat build up on his body was too likely to cause an issue. Even just hearing him was rough, the grunts and groans causing him to imagine them happening in his bedroom. Nolan wondered if there was anything about Liam that he didn’t find attractive. So far, he couldn’t come up with anything.

“So, upped your rank since Saturday?” Liam asked as he took a break from some lateral raises.

“Oh, uh, actually, yeah. I made it into Diamond 3.”

“That’s awesome! Have you ever competed in any tournaments or anything?”

“Not really, I doubt I’m good enough for that.”

“Are you kidding me? You could definitely wreck some people.”

“Maybe.”

Nolan knew he was blushing. Liam knew exactly how to hype him up. He wasn’t sure he could compete, but if Liam was there to cheer him on, he’d try. The image in his mind of Liam psyching him up from the sidelines made him feel pretty good.

“Do you mind spotting me? I’ll spot you after.” Liam's question came as he was setting up the weights for some bench presses.

Nolan wanted to tell him he couldn’t, but of course his stupid mouth said, “Yeah, I’ll spot you.”

He crossed over to the weight bench and stood at the head of it with Liam laid down beneath him. As his co-captain started his reps he leaned forward, ready to try to help stabilize the weights just in case.

He couldn’t help but stare now, if he was going to be Liam’s spotter he had to pay attention. He watched Liam’s pecs and abs flex with each raise and lower of the barbell. The sweat glistening on his skin drew his eyes and he was close enough that he could smell it too. Liam had set the barbell back in it’s hooks, but he was too distracted to notice.

“Alright, that’s good for me. Your, uh...” 

It took Nolan a second to realize why Liam’s voice had trailed off. Maybe he’d just missed some of what he said. When he looked down he realized Liam was staring at the tent in his workout shorts. Nolan was mortified. He’d been trying to prevent this all day, but here it was, definitely happening.

“I, uh, uh, I’m sorry!” Nolan stammered out.

Nolan rushed out of the weight room and through the locker room. He grabbed his clothes and kept on going, clustering them in front of his crotch as he went. He found his car in the school parking lot and sped out of there.

It wasn’t until he was pulling into his driveway at home that he realized what a jerk he just was. He slammed a fist on his steering wheel, accidentally causing a quick bleat from his car horn. He was supposed to take Liam home after that workout and now he was just too embarrassed to face him. When he looked at his phone he could see he’d gotten a couple texts from Liam, but he was too afraid to read them. He shrunk down in his seat and cried. Why did he always mess everything up?

* * *

Liam had tried texting Nolan to let him know that it was ok. Pretty much everyone had popped a boner during a less than ideal moment, right? When he came back from showering off the sweat from his workout and still hadn’t gotten a response he realized he was going to need to ask around for a ride.

He stared at Theo’s number in his phone first. He really wanted to see him again for some reason, but forced himself to consider other options. Theo had probably had enough of him this past weekend. He thought about texting Mason, but he’d just told him that he wouldn't be available tonight, so that would just make things weird. His parents were definitely at work. There were a couple other folks he wasn’t close enough with to ask.

Liam was just going to have to text Theo. He was kind of relieved to have an excuse to message him even though he worried he was just going to annoy him. He knew he’d get a response, Theo had promised he would always answer his texts after all. At least if he really meant that promise. He went ahead and sent the message.

_ I kind of got stranded at school. Do you think you could come pick me up? _

After he got dressed, he walked out towards the front of the high school. After a few minutes of walking through the empty halls, he eventually stepped out into fresh air. He started to worry that maybe Theo wasn’t going to keep his promise, but his phone finally dinged.

_ On my way. _

_ Thank you. I’m out front. _

It took a while longer, but after another twenty minutes or so Theo pulled around the front of the school. Liam hopped into the front seat and felt relieved to be surrounded by Theo’s scent again. He buckled in and noticed Theo was just as freshly showered as he was. He guessed he’d been at the gym when he messaged.

“So, am I taking you home?”

Liam definitely didn’t want to go home, “Actually, I’m kind of hungry. I could take us for dinner again.”

He felt like he could see a little frustration on Theo’s face before he answered, “Yeah, why not.”

“Is the diner ok?”

“Sure.”

Theo pulled out of Beacon Hills High and started the drive to the diner. Liam could sense that he was upset about something. He wanted to ask him, but wasn’t sure he should.

Theo asked him a question first, “So, were you really stranded at school or did you just want to see me again?”

Liam knew it was both, “Nolan was supposed to take me home, but he kind of freaked out and left me there.”

“What did you do to him?”

“I didn’t do anything.” Liam rolled his eyes.

“If you say so.”

Liam checked his phone again, still no response from Nolan. He figured he could try to catch him in History tomorrow if he didn’t hear anything by then. He did wonder why he was so freaked out though.

“So, when are they going to be done renovating your apartment?”

“I’ll get an update tomorrow.” Theo looked away from him when he said that.

“Do you think I could see it when they’re done?”

“Maybe.” The word sounded kind of sad.

Liam thought about what it might be like having an apartment. He didn’t think he’d want to live alone, his house already felt pretty lonely most of the time. He decided he’d have to have a roommate. He imagined himself living with Theo, cleaning up after he’d cooked dinner and hanging out watching videos together.

Theo putting the truck in park pulled him out of his daydream. The diner sat on the other side of the windshield. Theo opened his door and hopped down from his seat.

“You coming?” Theo raised an eyebrow.

Liam undid his own seatbelt and got out of the truck. They went into the diner and were greeted by a familiar face. The woman who had waited on them before was on shift again. Liam was starting to think she lived there.

“Welcome back, boys!” Jane looked over her shoulder, “Looks like your seat’s still open.”

“Thanks.” Liam added a nod.

The two of them headed back into the corner they’d sat in before. They pulled out menus and started looking them over. Jane came by with her pad ready to go.

“Know what you’re having?”

“Not yet.” Theo was still visibly scanning his options.

“What about drinks?”

“Water, please.” Liam was trying to decide as well.

“Me too.”

“I’ll give you gentlemen a couple more minutes then.”

Liam decided he was going to get a platter of loaded fries. Something about cheese sauce and bacon was really appealing right now. He set down his menu and watched as Theo kept looking it over. He tried to guess if he was going to order breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Liam’s money was on dinner. Jane came back with their waters and Theo finally set down the menu.

“So, what’ll it be?” Her pad was at the ready again.

“Loaded fries for me.”

“Alright, and you?”

“Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli.” Theo had gone with dinner just like he thought.

“Ok, anything else this evening?”

Liam could see Theo hesitate, “If you want to get an extra sandwich or something, that’s fine.”

“And a club sandwich, no veggies.” Theo kind of mumbled out the words.

“Club, no veg.” Jane nodded to them and took their ticket back to the kitchen.

Liam still didn’t know why Theo liked to keep food in his glove box, but if that’s what he wanted to do, he didn’t mind getting it for him. Theo picked up his menu and put them both back by the window before stretching out a bit letting his arms rest on the table. Liam got the urge to grab his forearm again, but he told himself he was probably so used to doing it the past couple days that it just seemed like a good idea. Besides, he’d probably just annoy Theo if he did.

Outside, the sun was starting to set, so he guessed it must have been around seven. Still plenty of time before he’d have to be home. And he didn’t want to go home before he had to.

“So, what are you doing tonight?” Liam asked.

“Nothing in particular, you?”

“Well, I did my English homework already and I can catch up on the rest during my free period.” He realized Theo probably didn’t care about that stuff, “Anyway, I don’t really have to be home for a few more hours.”

“Ok.”

“Did you want to hang out?”

Before Theo could answer, Liam’s text notification went off. He pulled out his phone and checked the home screen. To his surprise, it was a message from Scott.

_ Hey, I’m in town. Can you come by? _

Puzzled by the message, he almost didn’t hear Theo’s answer, “If you really want to.”

He sent a quick response to Scott.

_ I’m with Theo, is it ok if he comes too? _

_ Yeah, go ahead and bring him. _

“Everything ok?” Theo arched an eyebrow at him.

“Oh, yeah. Scott’s in town, he wants me to come by tonight.”

“Can you not tell him I’m with you?”

“I kind of already did.” Liam frowned, “Sorry. Can you come with me? I still want to hang out after, if that’s ok?”

Theo sighed, “It’s fine. We can finish eating first, right?”

“He didn’t say it was an emergency or anything.”

“Ok, good.” Theo seemed kind of disgruntled.

Jane came back by with their food and a sheet of foil for Theo. They talked a bit over the food. Liam let Theo snag a couple fries and Theo shared a bit of his meatloaf in return. They were pretty happy with the food. Liam took the bill again and made sure to leave Jane a good tip. It didn’t cost him quite as much as the breakfast did, but even if it had he wouldn’t have cared.

When they got back in the truck, Theo handed him the foil wrapped sandwich and he put it in the glove compartment for him. Liam was content with the quiet ride, but he could tell Theo was apprehensive. The air of tension got worse as they got closer to Scott’s house. As they pulled into Melissa’s driveway, Liam hoped he hadn’t messed up by asking Theo to come with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank all you lovely folks for letting me take on this weird ride that's coming out of my brain. <3


	8. Anchors

Theo followed Liam to the door. He’d been regretting agreeing to come here since they left the diner, but he was willing to put up with Scott again if it meant getting to spend more time with Liam. He made a mental note to himself that he hadn’t agreed to be happy about coming here.

Melissa answered the door and let them in. When she looked at Theo, he felt like he could see regret on her face, as if she’d somehow failed him. He listened for Scott and could hear him and Malia upstairs.

“Scott’s upstairs, Liam, he said he wants to talk to privately.” Melissa’s tone was careful again.

Liam looked back to him, “I’m sure this won’t take long.”

Theo watched Liam head up the stairs. He thought about listening in, but it would have been a breach of Liam’s privacy as much as Scott’s. He just had to hope it had nothing to do with him, even though he was sure it would.

“You mind joining me in the kitchen?” Melissa was already headed that way.

He followed her. She had what looked like bills spread across half of the island. She took a seat and started going through them while referencing her phone from time to time. After a couple minutes of this she set the phone down.

“Thank you for the lunches. That was very considerate of you.”

“It was the least I could do.” Theo felt kind of nervous.

“You’re right, it was the least you could do.”

What the hell did that mean? Theo furrowed his brow, partly out of confusion and partly frustration. He wondered what she was getting at.

“What I really need is some help around here.”

Now it was mostly confusion, “Ok?”

“If I don’t rent Scott’s old room, I’m going to have to sell the house.” Melissa frowned.

Why was she telling him this? “Sorry, I don’t really know anyone.”

“I want you to rent it, Theo.”

“That’s nice and all, but I can’t exactly afford it.”

“Didn’t you say you were going to find a job?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t even gotten an interview.”

“You have one tomorrow.”

“I... what?”

He wondered if Melissa had gone insane since the last time he’d seen her. This whole conversation had thrown him for a loop. Melissa was much better at manipulating people than he thought.

“I recommended you for a janitorial position at the hospital. It might not be the cushiest job, but it’s reliable and it pays well enough.”

“Wait, you recommended me?” What the fuck was happening?

“Yeah, so if you don’t show up at two tomorrow afternoon, it’ll make me look bad.” Melissa locked eyes with him, “So do me a favor and make sure you show up and get that job so you can rent Scott’s old room so I don’t have to sell this house.”

She was good, really good. She’d flipped the whole thing on him. Getting him a job and offering him a place to stay and making it favor to her instead of a favor to him. With a play that good he couldn’t say no.

“I’ll be there at one.” 

“Good.”

Melissa went back to her bills and her phone. Theo felt like he should be mad, but he actually felt kind of relieved. If this worked out Liam would never have to know that he’d been living out of his truck since he’d been brought back.

He thought about what he might do with a reliable income. Getting food whenever he wanted topped the list. Right below it was being able to take Liam out for a meal. Getting a better phone, maintaining his truck, and buying a new mattress all sounded good too. Before he let himself get too carried away he reminded himself he’d still have to do well in the interview. He started going through videos on the site Liam had shown him, saving anything with tips and tricks on job interviews to help him out for later.

* * *

Scott called Liam into the bedroom. Malia was sitting cross legged at the head of the bed and the alpha was sitting at the edge. He patted a spot next to him and Liam took it.

“I’ve got some questions about this weekend.” Scott started.

“Yeah, sure, whatever you want to know.”

“Can you tell me how you made it through the supermoon?”

“Oh, that’s kind of a long story.”

“I’m sure it is, but I’d like to hear it.”

Liam tried to think of where things began, “Well, Theo had already agreed to help me during the full moon. He’s actually the one who told me that it would be a supermoon.”

He looked down at the floor. He was ashamed that he hadn’t been prepared for it, that he hadn’t even known it was coming. He was sure Scott was going to scold him for it.

“I’m glad he did.” Scott didn’t sound mad at all.

“You’re not upset I didn’t know about it?”

“Well, you should have known, but sometimes we have to rely on our allies to help us out. So what happened next?”

“We didn’t really have anywhere to go and I was thinking about the last one. If there was some way to stop me without chains or a room to be locked in. And I remember what Theo did to you with the inhaler, you know, before I brought him back.”

“The wolfsbane.” The realization was clear in Scott’s voice.

Malia muttered under her breath, “The poison.”

Liam ignored her and kept going, “So, I figured it might work to keep me from being strong enough to hurt anyone. Theo went to Deaton’s and he ended up helping us make the pills and told us how often to take them. Then Theo found somewhere to park for the night.”

“This was the night before it started?”

“Yeah.”

“Did you reach out to Mason or Corey at all?”

“Uh, no.” There was that feeling of shame again.

“They’re part of your pack Liam, you need to let them know what’s going on during stuff like this.”

“I know, but they’ve been spending a lot of time together and the last time the three of us dealt with a full moon was kind of rough already. I didn’t want to hurt either of them.”

“What did you do last time?” Scott raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I kind of chased Corey around the Preserve until sunrise.”

“Ok,” the alpha clearly wasn’t going to dig into that further, “back to this weekend, you got the pills and were with Theo. Then what?”

“We slept in his truck that night. I know he was watching me. I’m not sure if he slept, but I took my first pill when I started to feel my wolf trying to come out. It felt really awful. Cold and weak and just, not something I want to do again.”

“Yeah, it can get really bad.” Scott nodded.

“Theo set an alarm and made sure I took the pills on time.” Liam knew the next part was important but still didn’t have a strong grasp on why, “And he took a lot of my pain too. I didn’t realize it at first, but he took what he could.”

“Yeah, Mom mentioned that.” Scott put a hand on Liam’s shoulder.

“We didn’t really have anywhere to go the next day so I asked Melissa, uh, your mom. She let us come here and we stuck out the rest of the supermoon mostly in this room.”

Liam looked around and there wasn’t a single sign that the two of them had been here. Everything Theo had brought was gone and with Scott right beside him that was the only scent he could catch in the room besides Malia. It almost felt like it hadn’t even happened and he hated that feeling.

“But you stopped taking the pills before the supermoon?”

“I did.” Why was he so reluctant to explain the next part?

“So how did you get through it?” Scott was clearly going to keep pushing until he got an explanation.

“I, uh...” Liam was getting nervous, “I found out Theo seemed to scare my wolf.”

“How?”

Scott’s one word question had his pulse racing. Could he really tell him it was because he’d buried his face in Theo’s chest? Could he actually lie to his alpha if he didn’t want to tell him? Maybe there was something in the middle he could say.

“Theo’s scent scared it. He’d brought in all the stuff from his truck so it was all over the place.” Liam still didn’t feel quite right about not being completely honest.

“His scent scared your wolf?” Scott’s words had an edge of doubt.

“When he was around it just kind of went into hiding.”

Scott turned to Malia who had an ‘I told you so’ look on her face. It took a minute or two before the alpha looked him in the eye again. The hesitation was putting him on edge. What did Malia think she knew about any of this? Why wasn’t Scott just talking to him?

“Liam, our wolves don’t just hide during the full moon. They run.” Scott squeezed his shoulder, “Unless you have something. And we both know what that something is.”

“Huh?”

“An anchor Liam. I thought even you knew that.” Malia’s tone was harsh as usual.

“My only anchor was Hayden and she left.”

When he and Hayden were together it was thoughts of her that kept his wolf in check, that helped him tough out a full moon. But she’d been gone for months. Besides, after she just disappeared there was no way she was going to be his anchor again. Scott was being ridiculous.

“Sounds like you found a new one.” Malia seemed to think this was obvious..

Liam’s confusion didn’t lessen in the slightest. How could Theo be his anchor? Scott’s anchors were only ever the girls he was dating. Malia’s anchors had been Stiles and then Scott, same situation there. He and Theo weren’t dating, so how could he possibly be his anchor.

“But, I’m not into Theo like that?” He wasn’t, right?

Malia didn’t look like she believed him, but she was always the last one to trust people so he dismissed it. Liam could see Scott trying to figure out what to say next, it usually wasn’t good when his alpha was lost for words. Could Theo really be his new anchor?

“I’m not sure you have to be.” Scott was being extra cautious, “Stiles helped me through a full moon once.”

“Didn’t you end up escaping anyway?” Malia added.

Liam couldn’t see the look Scott gave her, but he did see Malia roll her eyes again in response. He was still trying to wrap his head around even the possibility they might be right. He at least had to admit that his wolf hadn’t been scared. He’d known that was wrong, but it was easier to go with that than trying to understand it.

“My point is, sometimes a good friend can be helpful too. Liam, I know I’ve told you this before, but don’t push your friends away. They can help us in ways we don’t expect.” Scott looked him directly in the eye.

“Ok.” Liam nodded.

“That was really all I wanted to ask about. You don’t have to stick around if you don’t want to.”

Liam realized this was Scott’s polite way of asking him to leave. He nodded to his alpha and stepped out into the hallway, lingering for a moment. He knew he shouldn’t, but he still eavesdropped on Scott and Malia.

“--don’t really care what they are if he can get him through a full moon.” Scott sounded a little frustrated.

“You can’t tell me you’re actually trusting Theo with Liam.” Malia sounded just as annoyed.

“You heard what he said. It lines up with what my mom told us.”

“Yeah, except he left out the cuddling.”

Liam's pulse quickened again thumping in his ears. Even if he wanted to keep listening he couldn’t now. Is that what he and Theo had done? Was Theo his anchor now? Why was this all so confusing? And now he needed to go downstairs, where Theo was waiting for him.

* * *

Theo could hear the slow and careful steps on the stairs before he could see Liam. When he looked at him, Liam immediately looked away. He could tell the little wolf’s wheels were spinning in his head. He started to worry about what the discussion upstairs had been about.

“Hey, are you ready to go?” Theo asked him.

“Oh, uh, yeah.” Liam was clearly nervous.

“Come back when you’re done.” Melissa didn’t look up from her bills.

“It’ll probably be pretty late.” Theo remembered Liam mentioning that he didn’t want to be home for a few hours and that was at around seven.

“Better make sure you set an alarm for tomorrow then.”

Theo got up and headed out of the house. Liam seemed to be lagging behind a bit, keeping more distance between them than usual. Even when they got into his truck Liam was shifted closer to his door.

“So, where to next?” Theo pulled out of Melissa’s driveway and started down the road.

“I don’t know.” Liam was looking out the window.

“Do you want me to just take you home?”

“No! I just, I don’t know where to go.”

“Is there something you want to do?”

There was a stretch of silence before Liam looked at him, “Theo?” his voice was shaky, “What are we?”

“Allies. Hopefully friends?” He wasn’t sure where this was coming from.

Liam was nodding to himself, “Friends. Yeah, friends sounds good.”

He wondered what was going on with the little wolf. He really regretted not listening in on his conversation with Scott. Something had definitely happened up there.

“Do we need to change our Facebook status now?” Theo hoped a joke would diffuse some of this tension.

“I thought you didn’t have a Facebook?” Liam looked confused.

“I don’t. It was just a joke.”

“Oh, ok.”

“So, friend. Where are we going? What are we doing? You’ve got to be tired of just sitting around and watching videos with me by now.”

Liam still seemed distracted “We could go to the arcade downtown.”

“Does that cost money? Because I’m kind of between paychecks right now.” Really really between paychecks.

“Yeah, it does. Wait. Have you never been to an arcade?” Liam seemed to perk up a little bit.

“No... Is that a problem?”

“Only if you don’t like video games.”

“The last video game I played was when I was eight, so I have no idea.”

Liam looked him up and down like he was deciding something, “You’ll like it.”

“If you say so.” Theo shook his head and chuckled, “So, downtown?”

“Yep!”

Theo drove them downtown while Liam tried to explain what he should expect. It was almost nine at night by the time they arrived. At least if he wasn't a fan they wouldn’t be there too long. The parking lot was about half full, so it seemed like this place was pretty popular.

When they stepped through the doors the lights and sounds were more intense than he had expected, even with Liam’s warning. The little wolf went up to the counter and bought them cards that were good for a couple hours of play time. The noise forced them to stay close so they could hear each other, which he was thankful for.

“What do you want to do first?” Liam had to lean into his ear.

“Can we start with something easy?” He felt weird shouting over the din of the games and music.

Liam looked lost in thought for a minute before grabbing his forearm and tugging him off towards a bank of machines. They swiped their cards and were soon controlling characters that were walking down the street punching and kicking everything they came across. As they played, Liam kept leaning in towards him and explaining things about the game. He found himself playing dumb just so Liam would lean in and talk into his ear. The flashing lights and the loud alarms had him on edge, but every time Liam moved in close it helped calm him down.

After they beat the first boss, Liam was tugging him off towards another row of machines. This time they were racing against each other. Theo did pretty well, keeping ahead of the CPU opponents, but Liam was always right there with him ready to overtake him at the finish line. After a few races, Theo frustatedly got out of the fake car seat before he crushed the fake steering wheel with his real hands and Liam joined him pretty quickly.

He leaned in, “Is there something else we can play?”

“Wanna try those?” Liam gestured to some machines that had guns mounted on them.

“Sure.”

He grinned as Liam’s hands immediately wrapped around his forearm again. Whatever had stopped him before didn’t seem to exist here. The little wolf was basically a bouncing ball of excitement and Theo loved seeing this side of him.

Liam dragged them to a machine that had a sort of booth built in behind the guns. They were almost pressed against each other as Liam explained how the game worked and what they were supposed to do. Once they started playing the enemies on the screen didn’t have a chance. After a couple stages they fell in sync, covering each other when there were too many for one to handle, calling important targets, and rotating their special shots as if on instinct. When they tried to swipe to go again, the cards were dead. It was already after eleven.

Theo frowned a bit as the excitement in Liam started to fade away. They made their way out of the noisy arcade and back to his truck. As Liam buckled up, Theo could see exhaustion setting in on the little wolf’s face.

“Alright, little wolf, let’s get you home.” He had used that nickname again without thinking.

Liam yawned, “Theo, why do you call me that?”

“You don’t like it?”

“I don’t mind, but I’m not that much shorter than you.”

“I can stop if you want.” Theo offered.

“Nah, it’s ok.”

They made their way back to Liam’s house in pretty good time. He chuckled as Liam slowly and carefully let himself down from the passenger seat and practically sleep walked up to the door. He didn’t leave the driveway until the light in Liam’s room turned on.

Heading back to Melissa’s he wondered if she’d still be awake and if Scott and Malia would still be there. It was a little past midnight already, later than he had thought he’d be getting back. He parked and decided to gently knock instead of walking in and a drowsy looking Melissa answered the door.

“You weren’t kidding about getting back late.” She stifled a yawn.

“Yeah, sorry, I didn’t think we’d be out that long. Liam dragged me to the arcade.”

She grinned, “Did you two have fun?”

Theo smiled back and nodded, “I think so.”

“Here,” She held out a key, “I should have given this to you before you left.”

“What’s this?”

“It’s a key to the house. Kind of pointless to rent a room if you can’t get to it, don’t you think.” Even tired she was still snarky.

Theo took it from her, “Don’t worry, I’ll be at that interview tomorrow.”

He pocketed the key. He really was thankful for what Melissa was doing for him. Theo knew he hadn’t said as much, but if he felt like he had to say it, then he probably wouldn’t have accepted. He headed back to his truck ready to go find a spot to park for the night, but Melissa stopped him.

“And where the hell do you think you’re going?” She glared at him.

He gave her a confused look.

“Your room’s upstairs.”

“But, I haven’t paid rent yet.”

“Rent’s due at the end of the month. Come on.” She gestured for him to come inside.

“Aren’t Scott and Malia here?”

“Yeah, and they’re sleeping on the air mattress in the living room.” When he turned back towards his truck again she sounded exasperated, “Theo.”

“I’m just grabbing my stuff, I’ll be in in a minute.” He patted the pocket where he’d put the key, “Feel free to lock the door.”

Melissa went back inside and he climbed into his truck. He grabbed his duffle bag and blankets, then pulled the sandwich out of the glove compartment. With everything shoved under one arm he tried the front door and, sure enough, Melissa had locked it. He pulled out the key and unlocked it.

When he stepped into the house he knew he had a stupid smile on his face and he didn’t care. He’d forgotten what it was like to actually have somewhere to stay that wasn’t perched on four wheels. Better yet, he was about to put his food in a refrigerator. He wouldn’t have to worry about it spoiling before he could eat it. 

Once the club sandwich was tucked away, he quietly headed upstairs, passing by Scott and Malia in the living room. Scott was out cold, but Malia definitely wasn’t. Even her glare of murder and hatred couldn’t get rid of his stupid grin as he went up to his room. His room.

Once he was inside, he used one of the blankets to cover the bed again, smothering Scott’s scent. He double checked the alarm on his phone and moved it to about eight thirty. He wanted a good night's sleep before the interview tomorrow. Theo plugged the phone into the charger that was still hooked up on the nightstand and grabbed his pillow and his other blanket.

He sprawled out on the bed, something he hadn’t been able to do in a long time. After he was satisfied he’d taken enough advantage of the space he covered up with the second blanket and hugged the pillow. He breathed in deep. His and Liam’s scents were mingled together in the fabric from the weekend they’d spent wrapped up in them. He let himself imagine the pillow was the little wolf as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Liam scrambled to shut off his alarm. He was still really tired. He’d had trouble falling asleep and when he finally did, he was greeted by his recurring nightmare. He woke up in a cold sweat right before he smashed into the ground.

He lay awake for a while trying to better understand what had happened that night. Scott and Malia were convinced that Theo was Liam’s anchor and he had started to accept that they were probably right. He didn’t really know what that meant, though. He’d asked Theo what they were and he’d said they were friends and he was ok with that. Yeah, that was fine.

And the arcade was really fun. He’d liked showing Theo how to play the different types of games. He realized he probably should have taken it easier on him in the racing game. Though, their run in the shooter was pretty epic, he’d never made it to the end before.

When he thought back on the weekend he started to question how he felt about Theo again. It was true, they really had snuggled, but couldn’t friends snuggle? It was allowed right? He tried to think if he and Mason had ever snuggled, but couldn’t remember if they ever had.

Then he wondered if he could even be into a guy? He’d never really given it any thought. He knew he liked the way Theo smelled. Was that the same as being attracted to him? He was never going to figure this out on his own, he needed help. He sent Mason a text before finally getting up and getting in the shower.

_ You free to hang out tonight? _

He hoped Mason and Corey could help him figure some of this out. After all, they’d know a lot more about being attracted to guys and what that felt like. He really needed some advice. When he got out of the shower he saw that Mason had already replied.

_ Definitely, my place or yours? _

_ Mine. _

_ Kk. I’ll drive us after school. _

After the exchange, he got dressed and his mother dropped him off at school. She tried to make small talk and he kind of responded, but it all felt like a formality. When they got the school he was quick to jump out of the car and head to his first class.

When his free period came up he tried to find Mason and Corey without any luck. He was keeping an eye out for Nolan too. He still wanted to let him know that he didn’t need to be so freaked out about yesterday.

He wasn’t going to get the chance to try until History though. Normally he sat closer to the front of the class, but today he took the seat behind Nolan. It stunk of anxiety in the back there. Nolan normally smelled somewhat like anxiousness, but it spiked when he saw Liam was going to sit right by him.

Liam wrote a quick note and passed it to him.

_ Don’t worry about yesterday. It didn’t bother me. _

He could see Nolan nervously pen an addition to it before giving it back to him.

_ I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to happen. _

He wrote another response.

_ Really, it’s ok. I didn’t mind. _

Nolan’s scent shifted away from anxiety and towards confusion.

_ Are you sure? I thought you’d never want to hang out again. _

Liam thought the response was weird, but he still wanted to reassure him.

_ I definitely want to hang out again. _

When Nolan handed him back the note this time, Liam thought he might be blushing.

_ Ok. I’ll text you later. _

When Liam thought the teacher might have caught them passing the note, he shoved it into his backpack. Nolan seemed oddly happy for the rest of the class, but then again, he was just generally kind of odd anyway. He was glad to smell something other than anxiety coming from him.

At the end of the day, he caught up with Mason near the exit to the parking lot. They chatted for a bit until Corey joined them. Then Mason drove them all back to Liam’s house. They played video games for a little bit. Well, he and Mason played at the foot of his bed, while Corey watched from on top of it. It took some time before Liam got up the courage to ask the question he’d been wanting to ask all day.

“So, how do you know if you’re into guys?”

Liam tried to toss it out there like it fit perfectly into the moment, but he knew it hadn’t worked when Mason’s character stopped fighting back. He turned to see Mason staring at him, eyebrows raised. He slowly set down his own controller.

“I’m sorry, what?” Mason’s eyebrows hadn’t moved.

“I was wondering how you knew you were into guys...” Liam repeated nervously.

“I am more than happy to answer that question for you, but you have got to tell me why you’re asking first.”

“I, uh, well, I think I might be.”

“I mean, that’s obvious, why else would you ask?”

Corey cut in, “Don’t mind him Liam, he gets kind of rude when he gets excited.” The emphasis on the word ‘rude’ stuck out.

Mason rolled his eyes, “Fine. It could be a lot of different things. If you like the way they look for one. And that can range from, like, hot to adorable.” He reached up and shook Corey’s shoulder when he said the last part.

Liam scratched the back of his neck, “Oh, huh... ok.”

He wasn’t sure this was helping. He didn’t know if he liked or didn’t like the way Theo looked. He knew he liked the way he smelled and the way he felt.

“Is there someone you have a crush on?” Mason gasped, “Is that why you’ve been spending so much time with Nolan lately?” Mason was way too excited.

“Um, huh?”

“Well, you don’t have to worry, he is definitely into you.”

“Wait, he is?” Liam wondered why things always had to get more confusing and not less.

“Duh, it’s pretty obvious. He blushes pretty much any time you talk to him. That boy is totally obsessed with you.”

“He’s not wrong.” Corey shrugged.

This definitely made that scene in the weight room feel different. Liam now realized it hadn't been just a random hardon. He finally understood why Nolan had freaked out.

“I still don’t know if I’m into guys at all though.”

“Ok, well, do you think Nolan’s cute?” Mason asked.

“I mean, kind of, I suppose.” Liam wondered how this had become about Nolan.

“Do you like hanging out with him?” Corey raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, he’s a good guy.”

“Well, then, give it a chance and see what happens.” Mason suggested, “If it doesn’t work out you’ll probably go your separate ways at the end of the year. So, no big deal.”

Liam’s head was starting to hurt. He’d been looking for advice on his situation with Theo but now Mason and Corey had him questioning what to do with Nolan. He rested the back of his head on the edge of the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He could apply those same two questions to Theo. Yeah, Theo was kind of cute and he did like hanging out with him, but Theo wasn’t going anywhere. If it didn’t work out with him there was no going their separate ways.

They went back to gaming for a while and talking about school. After an hour or so Mason had to get Corey home, so the two of them left. He was glad he could hang out with his best friend again, but he wasn’t glad about the extra dose of uncertainty that had just been added to his life.

* * *

Theo lay sprawled out on the bed again. It had been a pretty good day and he wasn’t really used to that. He’d spent the morning reviewing the videos he’d made a playlist of the night before. He took the first private shower he’d had in ages. He’d gotten dressed in the nicest clothes he owned. He’d even sent a selfie to Melissa to make sure he looked like he wouldn’t embarrass her. Then he’d gone out to the interview and they had actually offered him the job at the end.

After that, he came home. Home. He still couldn’t help but smile about that. Then he ate half of the club sandwich that Liam had bought him, while thinking about where he was going to take the little wolf to repay him when he got paid. He’d spent some time looking around online at what kind of stuff he was going to be responsible for as a hospital housekeeper. It didn’t seem too bad and Melissa wasn’t wrong, it definitely paid better than he expected.

Melissa came home with some congratulatory Chinese food. He hadn’t had any of it before, so he enjoyed being able to try all the different things she’d bought. She’d encouraged him to eat as much as he wanted and he’d practically stuffed himself.

So here he was, stretched out on the bed in a room that was now definitely his, with a full stomach. There was only one thing, well, one person that would have made it better, but he’d promised himself earlier today that he wouldn’t message Liam until after he’d gotten the small advance the hospital was giving him on Friday. Until then, he was just going to have to make due with the blankets and his memories of the past weekend.

He watched a couple of videos from Liam’s favorite channel before he started to get tired. He made sure his alarm was set for the right time, since his first real day of work was tomorrow. After that, he fell asleep again, arms wrapped around his pillow surrounded by his and Liam’s scent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for making this my fastest loved work on here.  
> I appreciate every single one of you and I hope you'll see this to the end with me! :) <3


	9. The Hang Out

Liam was trying ranked play again. He stopped after just a few matches made him ready to break his controller. Nolan made it look way too easy. Nolan. He still didn’t know what to do about him.

Nolan had sent a text asking him to hang out tomorrow and he’d left it unread. Mason and Corey had made him really nervous about spending time with him again. How could he say no when he’d just told him he definitely wanted to in History earlier today.

He pulled out his phone and opened his messaging app letting the message show as read. Mason and Corey didn’t seem to think it was a big deal, so why should he? He went ahead and typed out a response.

_ Sure. Sounds good. _

The response came incredibly fast.

_ Did you want to come to my place? _

_ Yeah, ok. _

_ I can drive us after school. I promise I won’t abandon you this time. _

_ You sure? lol, j/k, I’ll meet you in the parking lot. _

_ See you tomorrow. :) _

Well, that was set now. He’d just have to see how it went. Though he still had to figure out what to do with his night. He opened his chat with Theo, he wondered if he might want to hang out again, but couldn’t bring himself to ask. He’d already kept him out late the night before. They’d seen each other every day for the past five days. Theo probably wanted a break from him. Besides, he still didn’t really know what to do about the whole anchor thing. 

He needed a distraction so badly that he actually did all of his homework. He usually put most of it off for his free period, waiting until the last minute if it wasn’t something big. Unfortunately, he finished it faster than he thought he would. So, he ended up texting Mason, hoping his best friend might be able to chat.

_ Hey, can you talk for a bit? _

_ Yeah, give me a minute to finish something. _

_ Ok. _

He threw himself onto his bed as he waited for Mason to get back to him. The house was silent as usual with both of his parents out at work. It felt like ages before the sound of his phone ringing startled him. He’d expected Mason to text him, not call him. He answered it and put him on speaker.

“Hey, what’s up?” Mason sounded a bit out of breath.

“I’m hanging out with Nolan tomorrow after school.”

“Wow, that was fast.”

Liam rolled his eyes, “I had already told him that I wanted to hang out again in History today.”

“Ok, so how can we help?”

“I thought you took Corey home?” Liam asked.

He heard the sound of the other end being switched to speaker too before Corey’s voice came through, “He did, but my parents asked him to stay for dinner.”

“Oh, ok.” Liam realized the last time he’d had anything resembling a family dinner was with Theo at Melissa’s.

“So, do you need, like, advice on technique or something?” Mason was joking, he hoped.

“Mason!” Corey sounded shocked.

“Uh, no. I guess I don’t really know what to do.”

“Well, what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know. I’m still not sure how I even feel about all this.”

“Well, you’re actually considering it though, right?” Mason took over.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“Would you be considering it if you weren’t at least a little interested?”

He had a point, “No, probably not.”

“So don’t overthink it, besides he’s probably going to be more nervous than you.”

“Yeah, probably. He always smells kind of anxious.”

“Honestly, he’ll probably just be happy to be around you.”

Liam thought back to their other hangouts and even when he’d switched seats in class. Nolan did just generally seem happier when he was around. There was something about that he really felt like he understood, but he wasn’t sure why.

“So, uh, anything I should avoid?”

“Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” He could hear Mason laughing.

“For some real advice,” Corey cut in, “don’t do anything you don’t want to do.”

“Well, I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Yeah, just, don’t be afraid to say no.”

“Ok, thanks Corey.”

“Yeah, no problem. Someone has to actually be helpful.”

“Rude.” Mason was clearly faking being offended.

“Thanks, Mase.”

“You’re welcome. Just have fun tomorrow, ok? And, you know, make sure to tell me all about it after.”

Liam rolled his eyes again, “I’ll think about it. G’night guys.”

“Good night Liam!” The two of them said together.

Liam hung up. He felt a little better about tomorrow. A little. And he was starting to think being with another guy might not be so bad. When Theo let him snuggle against him, it had actually been pretty nice.

He kept thinking about Theo. Liam had asked him what they were yesterday and he’d said friends. He didn’t really know what answer he was hoping for, but at least he knew they were definitely friends now. Friends that snuggled. Well, friends that snuggled when one of them had a homicidal wolf trying to break free that needed to be stopped.

Liam slammed a fist onto the bed beside him. He was still so confused and that was making him angry. There was suddenly so much going on in his life and in his head and it was just overwhelming. Maybe he’d figure some of it out tomorrow. At least, he hoped he would.

* * *

Nolan turned and looked at his alarm clock. It was already past ten at night. He should be asleep, but he kept thinking about hanging out with Liam the next day. He was running different scenarios in his head and in every one he ended up doing something stupid or embarrassing and scaring Liam off.

He wondered if the note they’d passed in History had meant what he thought it did. ‘Definitely’. Liam ‘definitely’ wanted to hang out again. Did that mean he liked what he saw in the weight room? No, he had to have been misreading that.

Liam had agreed to hang out with him again though. Tomorrow afternoon they’d be together in this room again. Nolan didn’t know if he was brave enough to try to flirt with Liam. He knew he wanted to, but he was so scared of doing something wrong he just didn’t know if he could cross that bridge.

If he kept thinking about this, he’d never fall asleep, so he booted up his system. He played ranked matches for a while, nudging closer to the next tier. It required him to focus on reading his opponents and taking advantage of openings, so he’d actually forgotten about tomorrow’s hangout while playing.

After a while he was just too tired to stay awake. His eyelids were heavy and sleep was coming whether he liked it or not. He tried to shut down the system and crawled back up to his pillows to pass out.

He found himself sneaking into Hill Valley Zoo. He had tailed Liam there and was sure that Scott and his pack were hiding inside. Of course, no one seemed to believe him until they heard a fight break out between a couple members of the pack.

Nolan was sure he spotted Liam down one of winding paths that spiraled and curved through the place. He kept following it until he caught sight of the werewolf again. He had his crossbow loaded and ready.

He thought he got the drop on him, but Liam shoved him over the edge into an empty enclosure. He backed up to a wall, bracing himself against it as he got ready to fire, but Liam was too fast. He knocked the crossbow out of his hands and growled, his eyes a yellow gleam.

Nolan knew he was dead. Monroe had told him that if he didn’t do this she’d kill him, but he couldn’t. He’d hesitated. He had plenty of time to take the shot, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to pull the trigger and now it was going to cost him his life anyway.

He saw the claws before he felt them, sharp and wicked looking things. Liam’s hand jerked towards his chest and they stabbed into him. He cried out in pain as Liam dug further in.

“I knew you couldn’t handle it.” Gabe stood over Liam’s shoulder. “Couldn’t get him to shift at school. Couldn’t kill the two in the Sheriff's station. Look at you. Worthless.”

Liam’s claws kept digging in, right over his heart. The pain was unbearable, tears streamed down his face. He was paralyzed by fear, unable to fight back. Liam’s now shirtless form continuing to force his claws into his chest.

“You think he likes you?” Gabe continued, “After all that you’ve done, you think he just forgave you? You two get to just be best buds and co-captains? As if!”

Liam’s fingers were sinking into his flesh now, guided by the claws. Gabe seemed to be enjoying the show, not making any attempt to help him. The jagged stones of the wall behind him dug into his back.

“That’s not all you want, is it?” Gabe laughed at him, “You think he wants to hold you? Kiss you? Are you kidding me? No one wants to be with a worthless little worm like you. I never wanted you and he never will. Give it up.”

He could feel Liam digging in deeper. The claws curling around his heart as they sunk in. The angry glare and the glowing yellow eyes showing Liam’s hatred for him.

“Just finish him.”

Gabe turned and walked away. Liam’s hand twisted, goring out a piece of his chest before pulling free. Nolan saw his still beating heart clutched in claws before snapping awake.

He sat up and scrambled back against the headboard. He hugged his knees to his chest and the tears started. He tried to tell himself it was just a dream, but Gabe’s words kept echoing in his mind. He was stupid to think anyone would actually like a failure like him.

* * *

Liam didn’t have any trouble finding Mason and Corey during their free period today. They’d taken their usual table in the library and had saved a spot for him. He dropped his backpack on the floor and let it lean against one of the table’s legs.

“So, ready for your big date?” Mason teased.

“It’s not a date.” Liam crossed his arms.

“Fine, fine, ‘hang out’. You’re still going to tell me all about it afterwards though, right?”

“If it’ll get you to stop asking, sure.”

“Just remember, I’m in bed by eleven, so you’ll have to call before that.”

Corey gave a sideways glare to Mason, but his words were meant for Liam, “You know he means well, right?” 

Liam relaxed a little bit, letting his arms down, “Yeah. I do.”

“What are you guys doing tonight anyways?”

“We’re just gonna chill out at his place. He’s got a bunch of movies and video games.”

Mason thought about that for a moment, “Huh... he’s a gamer too? I should’ve guessed. Maybe you two can play some fighting games.”

“Yeah, no thanks.” Liam balked.

“What? You love fighting games.”

“Nolan is weirdly good at them. Like, could actually win a tournament good.”

“Wow, I honestly can’t imagine that.”

The three of them chatted until the bell rang, telling them to head to their next class. Mason reminded him to try to have fun this afternoon and Corey reminded him to only do what he was comfortable with. They parted ways for the next period, but ended up back together in their Chemistry class after that. Liam was thankful that they had assigned partners that day. He didn’t think he could take much more of Mason’s excitement.

After lunch, he headed straight for History. He grabbed the seat behind Nolan who had his head down on his desk with his arms wrapped around him. This time instead of anxiety all Liam could smell was sadness. He didn’t know if he should say something, but he decided to go ahead and tap Nolan on the shoulder.

“Hey, are you ok?” Liam tried to catch his eyes, but he wouldn’t look at him.

“I’m fine,” Nolan didn’t sound fine.

“Are you sure?”

There was a brief pause, “You don’t have to hang out with me today if you don’t want to.”

“I still want to.” Liam assured him.

“Ok.” Nolan was still avoiding eye contact.

“Maybe we can watch your favorite movie? Spider-Man Homecoming, right?”

Nolan finally looked at him. He could see the caution in his eyes, like he was bracing before he got hurt. He didn’t like it at all.

“You remembered my favorite movie?” Some of the sadness started clearing away.

“Yeah, of course.” Liam scoffed, “But, if you want to watch something else, that’s fine too.”

Nolan blinked a couple times, like he couldn’t believe Liam was actually sitting there with him, “No, uh, Spider-Man’s good. Let’s do that.” A small grin appeared on Nolan’s face and the caution left his eyes.

“Alright, I’ll look forward to it then.” Liam grinned back.

The late bell rang and class started. To Liam’s surprise the sadness had mostly faded away leaving a little bit of happiness with just a bit of hopefulness mixed in. It smelled a lot better on Nolan than anxiousness ever had. He started to look forward to the end of the day.

* * *

Theo was on his lunch break. He was working on the other half of the club sandwich Liam had bought him at the diner. He could have brought some of the Chinese food. It probably would have been more filling, but he saw the sandwich as a reminder of what he was there for. He’d admitted to Melissa that he had nothing to offer Liam, but this job was the start of changing that.

And the job wasn’t too bad, really. He was worried that he’d be cleaning up a lot of patient created messes and having to deal with the sights and smells that came with them, but the hospital mostly had him handling the groundskeeping duties. After lunch he was going to be going around and watering all of the plants throughout the building.

The advance he was getting wasn’t going to be much. It would let him get gas in his car and buy a few groceries, but if he was careful enough he figured he could take Liam somewhere, even if it was just the diner. He’d overheard that Melissa had asked them to give it to him and wanted to be mad, but he was going to need it.

He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around Liam. During the supermoon he was all over him, even when it was waning. Then he was really distant afterwards, especially after his conversation with Scott, but then there was the night at the arcade. Granted, it wasn’t the same as the weekend, but still closer than he expected.

He had his phone out on the table, open to his texts with Liam. He wanted to go ahead and invite him out on Friday, but he’d been in too many situations where something went wrong at the last minute. He would wait until Friday when he had the cash from his advance in hand. A text from Melissa popped up at the top of the screen.

_ I just picked up a double. Going to be home really late. _

_ Ok. I’ll make sure the party’s over before you get home. _

_ Very funny. Leave me the lo mein. You can have the rest. _

_ WIll do. _

It was still so weird to him that he and Melissa seemed to get along. He felt like she should want to yell and scream at him. He could even see her getting a few good punches in or using the ridiculous taser Scott had given her. Instead, they generally traded snarky comments and kind of looked after each other. Theo had already been helping around the house to make her life easier where he could. Maybe he couldn’t say the words ‘thank you’, but he could at least act thankful.

He opened his gallery app. The picture of Liam was still the most recent photo taken. The one from the morning after the first night they’d spent together. Liam sleeping in the back of his truck, face buried in the blanket and hair a mess. He stared at it for the last few minutes of his break.

He’d been fighting for so long to keep Liam safe, to protect him from all of the evil that seemed to swarm Beacon Hills. Liam, the one who’d literally saved him from hell, who’d stuck up for him when no one else would, who’d believed in him. He wanted Liam to be happy and he hoped he could be at least part of whatever that happiness was.

* * *

The final bell rang and Nolan rushed to get to the parking lot. Liam was already waiting for him by the exit, so it didn’t take long at all before they were out of there and headed for Nolan’s house. After his nightmare, he’d been doubting Liam wanted anything to do with him, but their conversation in History had helped him feel a lot better.

He was definitely still nervous. He hadn’t figured out if he should say that he wanted things to go beyond friendship. He was starting to think he might not be the only nervous one today. Liam usually exuded this sort of casual confidence, but that didn’t seem to be happening today.

The drive wasn’t long, but neither of them talked the whole ride to Nolan’s house. When they got there, Nolan shouted into the house to remind his parents that Liam would be there today. Then they headed up to his room.

“How long did you want to stay over today?” Nolan asked.

Liam took a seat on the bed, “How late can I stay?”

“As late as you want.” Nolan would be more than happy to let him stay forever if he wanted.

“Ok, cool.”

Nolan started scanning through his movie collection again, “If you think we’ll have enough time we could watch Civil War first.”

“You have a movie on the Civil War?” Liam seemed confused, but interested.

“Oh, no. Uh, Captain America: Civil War. It has Spider-Man’s first appearance.”   
“Oh.”

Damn, they hadn’t been here for two minutes and already he was disappointing Liam, “Or we can just go ahead and start with Homecoming?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

Nolan put the disc into his system and grabbed one of his controllers. He took a seat on the other half of the bed and got the movie started. He looked over at Liam who had leaned back against the headboard, hands behind his head. He didn’t realize he was staring until Liam looked back at him. Nolan quickly turned to watch the movie, but he already felt the red in his cheeks.

He kept his eyes locked on the screen. He wasn’t sure, but he could swear he still felt Liam’s eyes on him. He hazarded a glance and sure enough, they locked eyes for a moment before Nolan looked down. He wanted to stare into those eyes, but he didn’t really feel like he was allowed to.

“Nolan?” Liam’s voice was soft, cautious.

“Uh, yeah?”

“Do you... like me?”

Nolan wondered how he meant that, “Um, uh, yeah, of course. We’re friends right?”

“No, I mean... do you like me?”

Nolan’s heart was racing. Did Liam really just ask him that? Could he tell him the truth? Should he tell him the truth? Did he actually mean what Nolan thought he meant? He realized he’d been quiet for too long when Liam spoke again.

“Sorry, Mason and Corey told me that you did and I didn’t feel right assuming.” Liam’s voice was still careful and gentle.

“Oh, uh, ok.”

Nolan wondered how they could know already. He’d only recently started to crush on Liam, right? And he barely interacted with them, but they were usually with Liam at school. He thought back to the past month and a half and realized that he’d been crushing on Liam for a while now, He just didn’t really understand it until they’d hung out, but clearly Corey and Mason had somehow seen it.

“So, do you?” Liam asked again.

He was going to have to answer him, “Uh, yeah. Sorry.”

Nolan could feel himself turning red. Would Liam be ok with that? Would he want to just go ahead and leave now? Liam probably wouldn’t want to be around him anymore. He was probably going to kick him from co-captain too. Nolan wondered if he’d have to switch out of History for something else.

Liam’s foot leaned on his shin and all of those thoughts were whisked away. He was touching him. On purpose. His heart was pounding in his chest now. He felt like his whole body was shaking with his pulse and he wondered if Liam could see it.

The movie continued to play, but Nolan couldn’t think about it. The only thing on his mind was the foot that was resting on him. It was such a small amount of contact, but it was huge to him. 

“Hey, uh, where’s your restroom?” Liam was talking to him.

“Oh, um, down the hall, uh, on the left.”

Liam’s foot moved away and Nolan’s shin felt cold. He watched him get up off the bed and step through his bedroom door. His first thought was that Liam wasn’t coming back, but he forced that away. Liam had touched him on purpose. He knew that Nolan liked him and he’d touched him. Nolan was finding it hard not to count the seconds while Liam was gone.

* * *

Liam found the bathroom and shut himself in. Mason and Corey were right. Nolan was definitely into him, but Liam still didn’t really know how he felt. He could tell he freaked Nolan out by asking him, so he tried to comfort him with a little contact, but after that the two of them just sat there.

Liam didn’t really know what to do, so he thought if he could find a private spot he could try to think things out. Unfortunately, he still had no idea what he was doing. He pulled out his phone and texted Mason.

_ Help _

He stared at this phone waiting for a response. When the screen changed to show an incoming call he immediately swiped it to his voicemail. He realized he should have been more clear, so he sent another text.

_ With Nolan. Don’t know what to do. _

He calmed down a bit when he could see Mason typing back.

_ Don’t freak me out like that. I thought you were in real trouble. _

_ Yeah, sorry. Anyway. Help? _

_ Wait, are you texting me right beside him? _

_ No, I went to the bathroom. _

_ Ok, good. _

Liam stared at the phone wondering when Mason was going to start typing again. It looked like he was just going to leave him hanging. After a few more seconds he tapped out a frustrated question.

_ Are you going to help me or not? _

_ Yeah, of course. How can I help? _

_ What the hell do I do? _

_ That’s easy. What did you do when you were with Hayden? _

_ I can’t do that with Nolan! _

_ Why not? _

_ He’s a guy. _

_ So? _

What the hell was Mason thinking? He and Hayden dated for a while before they spent any time alone in one of their bedrooms. So, when that finally happened the clothes hit the floor pretty quick. There was no way he was gonna just do that with Nolan tonight.

_ I don't know if I want to do that stuff with a guy yet. _

_ Wait, what exactly are you talking about? _

_ I’m not having sex with him Mason! _

_ Woah, woah, slow down tiger. I was not telling you to have sex with Nolan. I repeat, NOT telling you to have sex. _

_ Then what the hell did you mean? _

_ Did you two ever like, cuddle or anything? Or was it just punches since sixth grade? _

Of course Mason would be making jokes right now. Liam sat there panicking in a bathroom and Mason was making fun of him. He wished he could reach through his phone and shove him.

_ We cuddled. _

_ Ok, so do that. _

Liam started to type, but then stopped. It made sense enough. Cuddling wasn’t a big deal, he’d done that with Theo and kind of liked it. If he liked cuddling with Nolan maybe he just liked cuddling with guys. That would answer some of his questions, at least. He backspaced his message and typed again.

_ Fine _

_ Need anything else? _

Liam thought for at least a full minute if there was anything else Mason could help with. He started to wonder if he was trying to be thorough or if he just didn’t want to go back to Nolan’s room. When he realized just how long he’d been gone he sent one last message.

_ No. Thank you. _

He started to put his phone away, but it buzzed in his hand. He looked to see he had one last message from Mason. Of course he was asking again.

_ Looking forward to you telling me everything tomorrow! _

Liam let out an exasperated sigh and shrugged. He’d gotten used to Mason being so nosy a long time ago. He shoved the phone in his pocket and flushed the toilet even though he hadn’t used it. He didn’t want Nolan thinking he’d just sat in there doing nothing. He was about to leave before he went ahead and washed his hands adding another layer to the lie. Once he’d dried them on a hand towel he headed back to Nolan’s room.

* * *

It had felt like Nolan had been alone forever before he heard the distant sound of flushing and then hand washing. When Liam came back, he shut the door behind him and sat back on the bed, but this time instead of sitting a few inches away like before, Liam sat right up against his side.

Nolan’s pulse was overwhelming him again. He could hardly believe this was happening. Even if he’d somehow misunderstood and the touch from earlier was just incidental, he knew Liam pressing against him now was intentional. He closed his eyes for a moment and focused on the feeling of their arms touching together. Liam’s voice made him open his eyes.

“Is this ok?”

“Definitely!” Nolan hoped he hadn’t answered too quickly.

“Do you wanna start the movie back up?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, sorry.”

Nolan leaned forward to hit a button on the controller and unpause the film. He felt a little embarrassed. He couldn’t believe that he’d been so distracted he hadn’t even thought to hit play. He definitely didn’t expect Liam’s arm to wrap around him as he sat back again.

“It’s ok.” Liam’s voice was so comforting.

Nolan was definitely blushing. He let himself turn towards Liam a little and slowly laid his head on his shoulder. He felt so warm, so comfortable.

“So, what are we watching next?” Liam’s question surprised him.

Nolan stopped the credits. He hadn’t even realized the movie was over. He was just focused on what it felt like being close to Liam. 

“Um, we could watch Far From Home. It’s the next one.”

“Sure.” Liam pulled his arm away and put his hands behind his head again.

Nolan reluctantly dragged himself off the bed and swapped the discs in his system. He didn’t even make sure Homecoming went back into the right box. He wanted to get back over to Liam as quickly as possible.

He slid back over to Liam, controller in hand and started the new movie up. He decided to be a little more brave. He curled in against Liam’s chest, head on his shoulder again and wrapped an arm around his stomach.

Liam’s arm came back down and held him. Time felt like it was both standing still and rushing past all at once. Somehow even though he felt like he’d been cuddled up to Liam for ages, the movie was still too short.

When it was over he wondered what to put in next. He and Liam hadn’t really watched Black Panther so maybe they could finish it. Or maybe he could start the Avengers movies and Liam would want to see what happened next after each one and stay there with him all night.

“Nolan?”

He hadn’t stopped the credits again, “Yeah?”

“It’s almost dinner time. You should probably take me home.”

What, already? “Oh, yeah, ok.”

“You gonna stop the movie?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Nolan reluctantly leaned forward and cut off the credits. He could feel Liam’s weight shift off of the bed before he turned to see him standing. Looked like he wasn’t getting more cuddles tonight.

Liam waited in the doorway of his room as he ejected the movie and had to put Homecoming in the right box, before putting Far From Home away alongside it. He was so flustered he hadn’t even noticed that he’d mixed that up. He was such a mess.

Liam led them back down the stairs. At the bottom he called out to his parents that he was taking Liam home before they went outside and got in his car. The ride back to Liam’s was just as quiet as the ride from school. When he looked over Liam seemed lost in thought looking out into the sky. After another too long and too short moments they’d arrived at Liam’s house.

“Liam?”

Liam had his hand on the door handle, “What’s up?”

“Thanks for today.”

Nolan was blushing again. He loved every moment of their hang out, even if he felt like it was ending too soon. Maybe they were done for today, but they could always hand out tomorrow. Or maybe something else.

“Oh, yeah, no problem.” Liam smiled

“Hey, uh, do you have any plans for tomorrow?”

“Not really.”

Nolan braced himself, “Do you think maybe we could go on a date?”

“Oh, uh, sure.”

That was good enough for him, “We’ll meet up in the parking lot again?”

“Yeah, ok.”

Nolan took another risk, just like the last time he and Liam had hung out. He leaned forward and quickly kissed him on the cheek. Afterwards, he couldn’t help but look away, his cheeks warm again. Liam seemed frozen in place.

“See you tomorrow.” Nolan had a hint of excitement in his voice.

Liam’s voice was much more level, “See you tomorrow.”

Liam finally opened the door and got out of the car. Nolan watched as he slowly walked up to the front door before fishing out his keys to go inside. He sat there in the car for a couple more minutes wondering how tomorrow would go before forcing himself to focus on driving home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this has gotten a lot more attention that I expected.  
> Thanks for checking out my weird little slice of Teen Wolf.  
> Love you all! <3


	10. The Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized if I didn't get this chapter out soon some of ya'll were gonna murder me. So, here it is!  
> You can call off this hitmen now.  
> Please call them off.   
> Please. <3  
> Thanks in adva--

Theo woke up to the smell of bacon and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d woken up to the smell of food being cooked. The past two days had actually been rather surreal. He’d gotten so used to scraping to get by and barely getting any sleep. Waking up in a bed still felt bizarre.

He pulled the blanket over his face and frowned. It was already starting to lose Liam’s scent. At least it was Friday. He’d get his advance and then he could reach out to the little wolf to invite him to dinner.

He stretched and got up. He still slept in his clothes because he wasn’t entirely sure yet that this wouldn’t all be taken away. He’d also been keeping his things in his duffle bag even though there was a perfectly good dresser in the room so that he could easily grab it and go if things turned on him. He was always ready to run, just in case.

But he didn’t need to run yet, so he walked downstairs. When he got to the kitchen he could see Melissa had piled bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Theo sat at the kitchen island, just enjoying the smell of the food.

“How do you like your eggs?” Melissa asked him without looking.

Theo yawned, “Over easy, but I can make them myself.”

“You can, but you won’t.” Melissa cracked some eggs into the frying pan.

She wasn’t wrong. He still couldn’t bring himself to cook with the food in the fridge. He’d mostly picked at the Chinese food she’d bought and only because she’d expressly given him permission to eat it.

After a couple minutes, Melissa lifted the eggs out onto plates that had triangles of buttered toast already waiting on them. She slid one of the plates to Theo and grabbed a couple pieces of bacon off the pile that sat in the middle of the island, before setting a fork and knife near him as well.

“If you don’t take some of this bacon we’re going to have a problem.” She cut into one of her eggs, the yolk oozed out onto the plate.

“Fine, but only because you’re making me.” Theo put a small bundle of strips on his plate.

“You do realize you live here now, right? You’re going to need to get more comfortable.”

He was still having a hard time processing that, “Yeah, maybe after I’ve paid rent.”

“We’ll talk about that next Friday.”

“Oh, I’ll probably be out tonight.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” He knew Melissa wanted details, but he didn’t really want to share.

“Ok, do you think you could work on the backyard this weekend? I haven’t really been able to give it the attention it needs.”

“Sure.”

Melissa finished her plate pretty quickly, rinsing it off and leaving it in the sink. She grabbed a storage bag for the extra bacon and put it into the fridge. Then she went to the door and grabbed her purse.

“I guess I’ll see you in a couple hours.” Melissa headed out.

Theo ate his own plate at a slower pace. The instinct to stop and save some of it for later was still there, but he finished it anyway. Afterwards, he went to the sink and cleaned the dishes. Melissa would have done it when she got home, but he had some time to kill so he thought he might as well.

He figured he had enough time to wash his meager amount of clothes and with Melissa gone he could wash everything. So he loaded up the washer including what he was wearing and threw in one of the detergent pods, mentally noting to buy more of them when he could do some shopping. He made another mental note that he’d need to set aside some money when he got paid to buy some new clothes. Rotating the same four or five outfits was going to catch some unwanted attention at work eventually.

While everything was washing, he decided to clean himself too and took a shower. He was going to need to buy his own shampoo and soap. The list was getting a little long for mental notes, so after he dried off he grabbed his phone and started a real list. The list was longer than he wanted it to be and he was dreading how much it was going to cost. He didn’t even have his first paycheck and the money was already basically gone.

When the dryer went off, he threw on some of the freshly dried clothes and folded the rest, bringing them upstairs and packing them into his duffle bag. He only had a couple more minutes before he was going to have to leave for work. He grabbed the container of General Tso’s chicken from the fridge that was still left over from the congratulations dinner and threw it into one of the plastic grocery bags Melissa kept in the pantry before heading off to work.

* * *

Liam climbed up into the bleachers with Mason and Corey right behind him. He’d been trying to avoid Nolan today, so he’d asked them to meet him out here instead of in the library. He picked a spot that was generally out of site before taking his backpack off and sitting down.

“So?” Mason was practically vibrating with excitement, “How did it go?”

Liam was almost the opposite. In truth, last night was ok. He didn’t mind being close and cuddling with Nolan, but he wasn’t exactly excited for more.

“It was alright.” Liam shrugged.

“Just alright?” Mason clearly wasn’t happy with that answer, “You’re going to have to give us more than that.”

“We watched a couple movies and cuddled. It was alright.”

“You cuddled with Nolan for four hours and all I get is an ‘It was alright’?”

“So you didn’t like it?” Corey asked.

“No, I don’t know. I mean, it was ok, but I don’t think it felt like it was supposed to?”

Corey seemed genuinely curious, “Oh, ok. How did it feel?”

“I mean, it was kind of nice, but it wasn’t like it was with Hayden.” Or even with Theo.

“Would you do it again?”

Liam sighed, “I’m going to have to.”

Mason squinted at him, “Wait, what?”

“When he took me home he asked me if I wanted to go on a date tonight.”

“And you said yes?”

“Yeah, I didn’t really know how to say no.”

“I literally told you to say no if you wanted to.” Corey crossed his arms, “Literally.”

“I know, but you should have seen him. He was so excited, I couldn’t do that to him.”

Mason facepalmed, “And you think it’s going to get easier to say no now that he thinks you two are dating?”

“I guess not.” Liam stared down at his feet.

“If you’re still not into him tonight then you need to to tell him.” 

Liam had no idea how he was supposed to do that. Mason and Corey were right about two things, one that Nolan was totally smitten with him and two that he needed to stop things before they went too far. He tried to imagine what he would want done if the situation was reversed and he couldn’t think of any way to handle it that wouldn’t completely suck.

“What am I supposed to say?” Liam frowned.

Mason shook his head, “You need to be honest. He’s probably going to hate you for a while, but he might get over it.”

“What have I done?” Liam groaned.

Mason put a hand on his shoulder and chuckled, “You’re officially a heartbreaker. It was going to happen at some point.”

“Not funny.”

“It was kind of funny.” He could hear Mason’s smile.

“This is your fault anyways. I wasn’t even thinking about Nolan until you two brought it up.”

Liam instantly regretted his words. He wasn’t ready to explain where his confusion had really come from and now he might have to try. Mason was smart. Too smart. And too curious. 

Mason tilted his head, “Wait, if you didn’t mean Nolan, then who did you--” Mason gasped, “No. Really?”

Liam felt Mason’s other hand grab his other shoulder. His best friend was directly across from him now and he could feel him staring. He could already see the wide eyed expression in his mind. Mason was definitely too smart.

“I’m still trying to figure this out, ok.” Liam grumbled.

“I mean, ok, but like... wow.” 

“‘Wow’ what?” Corey hadn’t caught on.

“Theo.” Mason said it like it explained everything.

“Theo?” Corey was still trying to understand, but he did catch on, “Oh. Theo.”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Mason was talking to him again.

Liam looked Mason in the eyes, “Because it’s confusing, ok. Then you guys mentioned Nolan and I thought maybe I could find out if I liked guys by seeing how things went with him, but then it didn’t really answer any of my questions. And I thought if you knew it was Theo you guys wouldn’t help me figure it out and I still don’t know what anything means.”

Liam could feel his heart rate picking up. The frustration and rambling were starting to agitate his wolf. He started taking deep breaths to try and calm down.

“Liam, calm down.” Mason looked around to see if anyone else noticed them, “It’s going to be ok.”

“Yeah, we’re your friends. We’ll help you figure this out.” Corey had moved in closer.

“Why does everything have to be so confusing?” Liam was still fighting to suppress his wolf.

“Didn’t Derek teach you a mantra or something?” Mason’s grip on his shoulders was firm.

He did, and it sort of worked, but It wasn’t what he wanted right now. He wanted to inhale Theo’s scent, to be smothered in it. He squeezed his eyes shut and did his best to imagine it. His wolf started to sink away. Scott and Malia had been right. This was real proof that Theo was his anchor and he still didn’t know what to do about it.

Liam took a slow breath, “I got it. I’m fine.”

“Good.” Mason let go of him, “You heard Corey. We’re your friends. Hell, we’re your pack. We’ll help you with whatever we can.”

“Ok, then can you break up with Nolan for me?” Liam pleaded.

“Sorry man, that’s gonna have to come from you.”

Liam sighed, “I know that you’re right, but I still hate it.”

Corey shook his head, “If you’d have just said no like I told you to...”

Liam looked Mason in the eye, “I suggest you tell your boyfriend to go hide.”

The bell rang. The three of them picked up their bags and headed back into the school. Liam was looking forward to tonight even less than before. Well, he finally had at least one answer to the myriad of questions that had been piling on his confusion. Theo really was his anchor.

* * *

Theo picked at the box of sweet and spicy breaded chicken. His supervisor had pulled him aside before his lunch break and given him the advance. He’d made sure Theo understood that it was coming out of his first check by saying it at least three times and getting Theo to repeat it back to him. He didn’t particularly like being treated like a child, but put on his fake smile and his perfect gentleman act because he wanted to keep this job.

He separated a portion of it for gas and some for his most needed shopping and still had a decent amount left. He pulled out his phone and opened his chat with Liam. He decided to just be direct.

_ Hey, do you want to hang out tonight? I’ll buy dinner for once. _

He didn’t know if Liam would be able to get back to him any time soon. He knew the little wolf was in school, but he had no idea what his schedule was like. He must have messaged at a good time though because Liam was already replying.

_ Sorry, can’t tonight. Busy. _

_ Busy? _

What the heck could he be doing? He’d told him that no one was ever really around, but he had been hanging out with that Nolan kid a lot. Maybe he was doing that again.

_ I have a date, I guess. _

Theo’s heart sunk. Of course Liam was dating again. How could he not be? He was a captain on the lacrosse team and too adorable for his own good. Someone was bound to try to snatch him up. Theo had just hoped it might’ve been him.

_ A date? Got a new girlfriend already? _

_ Not exactly, no. _

What the hell did that mean? ‘I guess’, ‘not exactly’, it sounded like he was trying to hide something. Theo didn’t like the idea of not knowing what was going on.

_ Well, whoever she is she’s lucky. _

_ He’s not that lucky. _

‘He’? Was that a typo? He’d been a little jealous when it was a girl, but the only guy Liam should have been dating was him. He sneered at his phone. No two-bit twink was going to take his little wolf away from him. He was so angry he couldn’t stop himself from sending the next text.

_ What’s his name Liam? _

_ Sorry, gotta get to class. I’ll text you later. _

The last message came in as his own went out. Liam had to have already been sending it while he’d been typing his up. He stared at the screen trying to will Liam to send him another text, but it didn’t work.

Even if Liam told him who it was, what was he going to do? Find somewhere to bury them, maybe. He could probably get away with it without Liam finding out it was him.

If it was a guy and not just a typo, there was only one guy Liam had been around lately. Nolan. He was starting to regret saving Liam from himself back at the zoo and by extension saving that little jerk in the process. No, stopping Liam from killing him wasn’t the mistake. Not going ahead and killing him himself was the real mistake.

Theo set his phone down on the table a little too hard. He needed to calm down. Liam probably wouldn’t approve of these homicidal thoughts. He took some deep breaths and started to get things under control.

He wasn’t hungry anymore, so he folded up the box of food. He wanted to throw it away, but his instincts stopped him from wasting food. He threw it back into the break room fridge instead. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

Nolan had been excited about today since the night before. Not only had he gotten to snuggle up with Liam, but they were actually going on a date tonight. He couldn’t believe it.

He’d spent that night trying to think of something to do and he decided that he wanted to take Liam to Chicky Dee’s again and then the arcade downtown. He knew Liam liked video games too, so it seemed like the perfect place for their first date. And Chicky Dee’s was the first place they’d eaten together so cementing that as a first date location felt perfect.

He sat at his usual desk in History and pulled his textbook out of his backpack. He hoped Liam would get there soon. He hadn’t seen him all day. He sighed when the girl that usually sat behind him beat Liam to class. He wanted to tell her to find somewhere else to sit, but he just couldn’t bring himself to start that confrontation. He started to worry when the late bell rang and Liam still hadn’t shown up.

Was there new ‘werewolf stuff’ for him to deal with? Was he off fighting some new threat to Beacon Hills somewhere? Would Liam die before he had a chance to kiss him?

He was relieved when Liam came through the door. He smiled at him, but Liam seemed worried about something and only kind of smiled back. He hated that Liam was taking a seat near the front of the class, but there really wasn’t anything he could do about it.

When class ended he packed up his stuff and was going to try to catch Liam, but by the time he looked up he was already gone. At least he’d get to see him at lacrosse practice today. When an announcement went out during his last class that lacrosse practice was cancelled because Coach Finstock hadn’t come back yet he was actually glad. That meant he and Liam would get more time for their date.

The last half hour of the day felt like a week. The only thing that held his attention was the clock on the wall as he waited for it to finally show that it was time to go. Eventually the second hand wound it’s way back to the top of the last minute and he was finally free. School was over and he needed to head out to the parking lot to meet up with Liam.

He smiled the whole way there and even more when he saw Liam waiting for him. Nolan wanted to hug him, but he wasn’t really sure how Liam felt about public displays of affection so he decided to wait until later. When they got into his car his smile was still there.

“So, I figured we could grab a quick bite to eat and then we could go to the arcade.”

Liam still seemed like he was worried about something, “Sounds good.”

Nolan didn’t want to pry, besides once they got to the arcade he’d be having too much fun to worry. Chicky Dee’s was a quick hop from the school and Nolan ordered the same thing he had the last time they were there. He grinned when Liam copied his order again and made sure to pay for both of them.

“Nolan, I can pay for myself. Really.” Liam seemed a little frustrated.

“It was my idea to come here. Besides, they already processed it.”

“Fine, but let me buy my own card at the arcade. Ok?”

Nolan wanted to pay for both of them, but he didn’t want to fight with Liam to do it, “Ok.”

He grabbed the same table they’d eaten at last time they were here and wondered if Liam noticed, but if he had he didn’t say anything about it. They made small talk while they ate. Nolan tried to rest his leg against Liam’s under the table, but he pulled away. He freaked out for a moment, but forced himself to think positively. Liam probably didn’t even realize he did it.

Once they’d both finished their nuggets, Nolan gathered their trash together and Liam took up their trays and threw it away. He rushed back out to the car and Liam followed. He was looking forward to playing some games together.

* * *

Liam stared out the window as Nolan drove them downtown. He’d tried to say something when they were eating, but Nolan just had that supid grin on his face the whole time. He really didn’t want to upset him and he figured he’d find the right moment at the arcade. 

After he parked the car, Nolan leaned over and hugged his arm. He didn’t really know what to do, so he just let him hug him. After a moment Nolan let go.

“Hey, uh, thanks for this.” Nolan stammered quietly.

“Yeah, no problem.” Liam wondered if he should have said something then, but he just wasn’t sure.

“Alright, let’s go.” Nolan smiled.

Liam got out of the car and followed Nolan towards the front of the building. They could hear the music through the windows. Nolan stopped him before he went to open the door.

“Do you think we should get five hour cards? It’s only four-thirty.” Nolan’s excitement had returned.

“How about we start with an hour? I don’t know if I can handle five hours in there.” Liam lied.

He could definitely handle five hours. In fact, he’d once spent almost a whole day there. He didn’t want Nolan to waste his money though. If they talked before time was up, he couldn’t imagine them still playing games afterwards. 

“Ok. Whatever works for you.” Nolan opened the door for him.

They bought their cards and Liam let Nolan drag him over to the racing games. They generally beat anyone else who came over to the machines. Would be challengers coming and going as the hour stretched on. 

Liam wondered how and when he could tell him. Maybe when their cards ran out he could ask him to go home. Say that he was supposed to help his mom with something. He didn’t really want to lie again though. He already felt bad about the little one he’d told before they’d bought their cards. 

Maybe he could just say that he wanted to go home. Nolan had taken him home without question the other night. He figured it was probably worth a shot.

“Damn.” Nolan’s card wasn’t working anymore.

Liam tried his and realized their time must have run out, “Hey, sorry, but could you take me home?”

Nolan pouted, “Really? I thought we’d get to spend more time together tonight.”

Liam wondered if he could get away with not explaining himself, “Yeah, sorry. I just need to get home.”

“Oh, uh, ok. Sure.” Nolan clearly wasn’t happy about it, but he was going along with it.

“Thanks.”

Liam still needed to tell Nolan the truth. He couldn’t keep putting it off, but he just wasn’t finding the right moment for it. When they got around the corner of the building at the edge of the parking lot, Nolan grabbed his hand. He stopped and turned to look at him, he seemed like he was thinking about something.

Nolan leaned up to kiss him and he instinctively brought his arms up. Nolan stepped back, he was clearly surprised and confused. Liam was going to have to just say it.

“Nolan, I’m sorry. I just. I can’t. I thought I could, but I can’t.”

Liam saw the look of terror come over Nolan. The same look he’d seen in the locker room a couple days ago. Nolan yanked away from him and ran. He paused for too long, so when he tried to catch up Nolan was already driving off. Nolan had left him stranded. Again. This time he deserved it. He shouldn’t have let it get this far. He should have just told him in the parking lot at school like he’d originally planned to.

He pulled out his phone and considered sending Nolan an apology text, but it didn’t feel right. He did need to apologize to him, but he felt like he should really do it face to face. Lacrosse was definitely going to be awkward now.

He thought about asking Mason to come get him, but he didn’t really want to hear him or Corey admonishing him for letting the whole date play out before he said something. That really just left Theo. He did say he would text him later.

When he opened the chat with him, he saw Theo’s last message. It must have come in right before he locked his phone. He didn’t know why Theo wanted to know who it was, but it didn’t really matter now. He went ahead and sent another text.

_ Stranded again. At the arcade. Can you come get me? _

Liam sat on the sidewalk and leaned against the building. He hoped Theo would check his phone soon. His message still showed as unread. It was another thirty minutes or so before he got a text back. He’d almost gone ahead and message Mason.

_ Date’s already over? _

_ Yeah. _

_ Fine, give me a few minutes. _

Liam breathed a sigh of relief. He’d been on edge since Nolan freaked out on him again and the idea of being near Theo and his scent was helping to calm him down. He was looking forward to him showing up.

* * *

Theo was mad at himself for missing Liam’s message until he got off work. He wasn’t doing a very good job of keeping his promise. At the same time though, he was still kind of mad at Liam. How could he just go and start dating some other guy? Especially after the supermoon.

He couldn’t stop himself from sending a snarky response, but Liam didn’t take the bait. The hospital wasn’t too far from the arcade, so he sent another message to buy him a little time to get there. On the drive there he started running through all the different things he wanted to say to Liam. He was already simmering when he pulled up to where Liam was sitting on the ground outside.

Liam climbed up into the passenger seat and buckled in. He looked a little dejected, like the day had already worn him out. That wasn’t going to save him from getting an earful from Theo.

“So how was your date?” Theo grumbled.

Liam’s voice was soft and small, “Terrible.”

“Good.”

He’d said it without thinking, but he meant it, so he didn’t correct himself. Liam turned to him, somehow looking sad and confused at the same time. How dare he act all innocent.

“So he stranded you huh?”

“Yeah. Again.” Liam looked down into the floorboard.

Wow, so it was him, “Nolan sounds like a real jerk.”

“No, I’m the jerk.”

“You’ve got that right.” Theo glared at him for a moment.

Liam started to give off a little anger in his scent, “What is going on? Why are you mad at me?”

“Why are you dating some random guy?”

“Nolan’s not some random guy.”

“Not really my point.”

“What is your point then?” Liam was adding frustration into the mix.

“How could you go on a date with him?”

“He liked me. I thought I’d give it a try. Is that so terrible?”

“Liam, you literally just told me it was terrible.”

Theo was starting to drive angry. He was cutting around other slower cars and was definitely speeding. He didn’t really know how to reel it in right now.

“What do you want me to say? That I was trying to figure out if I liked guys? That I didn’t know how to handle that--” Liam cut himself off.

“Handle what, Liam?” 

“That... that...” he could see Liam balling up his fists, “That you’re my anchor. Ok.”

What the fuck was this kid talking about? “What does that even mean?”

“You don’t know what an anchor is?”

“No, Liam. I’m a fucking chimera remember?”

“Damnit. Why couldn’t this be something you already knew?” Liam was giving off confusion and desperation in droves.

“Just explain it!” Theo took a turn a little harder than he should have.

Liam was starting to tear up, “An anchor is someone who keeps your wolf calm. Someone who makes you feel safe. Someone you care about.”

Theo slammed the breaks. A car behind them honked its horn as it went around them. In his anger he flipped them off as they went by. Did Liam say what he thought he just said?

“What did you just say?”

Liam was crying now, fists still clenched, “I care about you, ok? I don’t know what that means. I thought maybe I liked guys because I like being close to you. And I tried stuff with Nolan to figure that out, but I don’t know if it was just him or if I’m just not into guys or what. And I’m really confused. But I know you’re my anchor, ok? I need you to be around. So, please don’t hate me.” Liam was trying to wipe his face with his sleeves, “Please don’t hate me.”

Theo started driving again. The little wolf was still trying to clear away his tears. Tears that he’d caused by being an unreasonable jackass. What the hell was he supposed to do now?


	11. Toothbrushes

Liam didn’t know what to do. He’d just rambled out everything, but Theo hadn’t said a word. He didn’t want to see Theo so angry again, so he was hiding his face in his hands. Theo was probably figuring out where to dump him off right now.

All he wanted to do was to try to figure things out, but instead he’d just made everything worse. Corey and Mason were going to think he was an idiot, Nolan had freaked out and drove off, and Theo was basically screaming at him. He’d pretty much upset everyone he had left.

When the engine cut off too soon, he braced himself. Theo really was going to just leave him somewhere. He waited for a few more moments and nothing happened.

“I don’t hate you.” Theo was eerily calm.

“Are--” Liam’s voice caught in his throat and he realized he was going to have to speak carefully to avoid more tears, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, Liam, I’m sure.”

Liam finally lowered his hands and looked over to Theo. He thought he would see simmering anger, but instead Theo looked a little sad. He had to swallow back another wave of tears.

“I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

Theo sighed, “I know, little wolf.”

Hearing the nickname again was nice. The way Theo said it was always so calm and gentle, like the words themselves would take care of him. Liam hadn’t known how to feel about it before, but now he was sure he liked it.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” Theo’s words were firm, but not aggressive.

Liam didn’t know what to do, because the only thing he wanted to do was apologize. To tell all of his friends that he was sorry. He knew that he had let them down. How was he supposed to be a leader, an ‘alpha’, when all he could do was disappoint people?

“Are you hungry?” Theo kicked the engine back on.

He wasn’t really, but he thought maybe food could be a good distraction, “Kinda.”

“Ok. I’ll buy us some dinner.” Theo started to pull back onto the road.

He didn’t want to be a burden, “I can pay for myself.”

“You’ve already paid for me twice. It’s my turn.” Theo’s voice was strangely determined.

“Ok.”

Liam watched the trees and buildings go by as Theo drove. A familiar structure came into view and Liam realized it must be their destination. The diner that they’d been to twice already. It was starting to feel like a special place for the two of them.

Theo parked right out front, “I hope this is ok.”

Liam nodded and Theo got out of the truck. Liam dropped down from his seat and shut his door. When he saw himself in the side mirror he frowned. He was glad this place was never too busy, because his eyes were still red from crying earlier. He followed Theo inside, staying just behind him trying to hide his face by mostly looking at the ground.

“Hey boys!” Jane’s voice was chipper, but she brought her tone down when she looked them both over, “Rough night? Give me just a second you two.”

Liam looked up to see Jane walking over to a man sitting at the booth they’d had before. She picked up his plate of food and cup of coffee and walked it to another booth several seats away. The man grumbled something at her that Liam couldn’t make out.

Jane snapped back, “If you don’t want to be moved, Earl, you should tip better.”

The man got up and moved to the new spot glancing up to glare at him and Theo in the process. Jane grabbed a rag and wiped the now empty booth’s table down, put down some new bundles of tableware, then came back over to them.

Jane blew a wisp of her greying hair away from her face, “Sorry about that. Go grab your booth.” She winked at them.

Liam couldn’t help but grin a little. He would have sat wherever she wanted them to, so as far as he was concerned that was above and beyond what he expected. That, and he liked the idea that it was their booth. Something special for him and Theo.

Theo led them over to the booth. They took their seats and started looking over the menu. Liam wasn’t hungry, but he did want something sweet. When they both set down their menus Jane came over to the table.

“Alright boys, what’ll it be?”

Theo ordered first, “I’ll have the country fried chicken. With mashed potatoes and green beans.”

Jane scribbled it onto her pad, “And you, hun?”

“Uh, just a sundae please.”

Theo looked concerned, “You can order whatever you want.”

“It’s what I want.” When Theo’s expression didn’t change, Liam added, “Really.”

Jane noted the order, “Drinks?”

“Just some water please.”

“Same for me.” Theo grabbed their menus and put them back in the holder.

“Alright, give us a few minutes on the chicken. You want me to go ahead and bring out the sundae?” She looked at Liam.

“Please.”

“No problem, hun. Back in a couple minutes.”

When Jane walked away, Liam realized Theo hadn’t ordered an extra sandwich tonight. It felt kind of weird for some reason. He couldn’t think of a good reason to ask about it, though.

“You sure that’s all you want?” Theo’s brow was still furrowed.

“Yeah.”

“Ok.”

Liam didn’t really know what to say. He’d already said so much in the truck and Theo hadn’t really responded to any of it. He really wished he knew what Theo was thinking.

Jane came back with a tray and set their water down on the table. Then the sundae in it’s special glass came down in front of Liam along with an extra long spoon and a little bowl that had extra cherries. It looked bigger than the picture on the menu.

“I put some extra hot fudge on there for ya.” Jane winked before disappearing back into the kitchen before Liam could thank her.

He took a spoonful of the dessert, thankful for an excuse for his silence. It was actually better than he expected and he definitely appreciated the extra chocolate. He started to relax a bit, the tension in his muscles he hadn’t really noticed melting away with each bite.

“Looks good.” Theo grinned.

“It is. You wanna try it?” Liam offered him the spoon.

“Sure.”

Theo took the spoon and scooped out some of the ice cream. He could see a bit of surprise as he tasted it. Theo’s eyes closed for a moment as he slid the spoon off his tongue, before he handed the spoon back. Liam hadn’t really given sharing the spoon a second thought.

“Ok, it’s pretty good.” Theo chuckled.

“Thank you.” Liam was still so nervous.

“Don’t worry about it.”

But he was worried, just not about the sundae, “Theo, what I said before...” he couldn’t figure out what to say now.

“I’m right here, Liam. You haven’t scared me away.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

That made him feel a little better. It didn’t clear up any of the confusion that swirled in his head, but at least he hadn’t scared Theo off. He still had at least one friend.

“Where do you want to go after we eat?” Theo asked him.

“Can we go to your place?”

Theo seemed to hesitate, “Maybe.”

“Are they still renovating it?”

“Not exactly.” Theo started to look worried.

“If you don’t want me to see it, that’s ok.”

“Liam.” Theo sighed, “I don’t have an apartment.”

Great something else to be confused about, “Then where do you live?”

“Right now? With Melissa.”

Theo looked out the window, the setting sun cast shades of orange, pink, and purple onto him. The worry was still there on his face, accented by the pastel shades of sunset. The colors were pretty, but Liam found the expression unsettling.

“Really?” Liam’s brow was scrunched up with confusion.

“Yeah, I’m renting Scott’s old room.”

Liam remembered all the times Melissa had told Theo that he needed to come back and talk to her. He’d wondered what that was about, but now it started to make sense. He kind of liked knowing Theo was somewhere close. Somewhere safe.

“Can we go there?”

Theo pulled his phone out of his pocket, “Let me check with Melissa, but I don’t really have anything to do there.”

“That’s ok.” Liam just wanted to spend more time with Theo.

Jane came by the table, dropped off Theo’s plate and topped off their glasses of water. She disappeared as quickly as she arrived, but not before reminding them she was just a hollar away. Theo nodded to her then finished up the text Liam assumed was to Melissa before he dug into the still steaming plate of food.

Liam picked at his sundae and watched Theo eat in a comfortable silence. He grabbed one of the extra cherries Jane had given him and plucked it off the stem before popping it in his mouth. A ding sounded from the phone on the table.

Theo unlocked it, “She wants to know if you’re sleeping over.”

“Can I?”

Theo typed out another message and read a response, “Yeah.”

Liam grinned as he scooped out a spoonful of pure fudge. Everything about today had sucked, but he’d do it all again just to get back to this moment. Something about it just felt right.

Theo stopped eating about halfway through his plate. Liam had picked through the cherries and only really had a little bit of melted sundae left. Theo caught Jane’s attention after she came out to greet a new group of customers.

Jane came by the table, “Need some foil?”

“Actually, a box is fine tonight.” Theo pushed his plate away a bit.

“Ok, no problem. How are we doing the check?”

“I’ve got it.”

Jane pulled the bill out of her apron and set it next to Theo, “I’ll be back with that box.”

“Here, keep the change.” Theo was already handing it back.

Liam had seen Theo slip a twenty into the little folder. With just the two items, their food couldn’t have been more than fifteen dollars even with the tax. He was actually glad to see that Theo left a good tip.

Once she brought the box, Theo slid what was left on his plate into it. Liam thanked her before she disappeared back into the kitchen again. They got back into Theo’s truck and Liam held the leftovers in his lap. Theo pulled out of the diner and they headed to Melissa’s or should he be calling it Theo’s? He thought about that on the ride there.

* * *

As he drove back towards Melissa’s, Theo wondered how their night would go. There really wasn’t anything to do. His room was still basically barren. They’d found something to do last time, though, so he assumed it would be another night of watching videos on their phones. He didn’t mind that at all.

He realized that he did have something he needed to take care of, “Hey, I need to stop at a store.”

“Ok.”

The only word he could use to describe Liam right now was content. The little wolf had definitely settled down during their time at the diner. Theo had said some pretty stupid things when he’d picked him up from the arcade, but he couldn’t help but feel jealous. He wondered for a minute what kinds of ‘stuff’ Liam had tried with Nolan, but had to force himself to stop thinking about it so he didn’t get angry again.

He pulled up to the drug store and parked, “I’ll be right back.”

“I wanna grab some stuff too.” Liam set the leftovers on the dashboard.

“Alright, sure.”

They split up inside, Theo grabbed the toiletries he needed for the bathroom, mostly generics to keep the cost down. When he got up to the counter the cashier was scanning Liam’s stuff. It looked like a pile of snacks and drinks. Once Liam had paid for his own things, he paid for his and they got back in the truck.

Theo glanced at the two bloated plastic bags in the seat behind Liam, “That’s a lot of stuff for one night.”

“Yeah, probably. I couldn’t decide on what to get.” Liam looked out his window as they pulled out of the parking lot.

Theo watched him for a moment. He was jealous, not an angry jealous like when he thought of Liam and Nolan, he was more envious of Liam’s innocence. Liam hadn’t had his childhood taken from him by a group of supernatural scientists.

Theo pried his eyes away and pulled out onto the road. He turned on the radio as they headed towards Melissa’s and only had to slap Liam’s hand away once. As he pulled into the driveway, the box of leftovers slid off the dash, but Liam was quick to grab it avoiding a nasty spill.

They headed inside with their bags and the box. The house was quiet, Melissa was working another double so she wouldn’t be home until the early hours of the morning. Theo put the other half of his dinner in the fridge and headed upstairs with Liam right behind him. He told him to go ahead and go to the room, that he’d be there once he put the stuff he’d just bought away. It didn’t take him long to put it all in its place in the bathroom.

When he got to the bedroom, Liam had fanned out the contents of his bags on the foot of the bed. There were different kinds of chips, candy and drinks in the mix. Not one bit of it looked healthy.

“Hey.” Liam seemed kind of nervous.

“Quite the spread.”

“Sorry.” Liam looked down.

“Don’t apologize.”

Theo wondered when the little wolf would realize he didn’t need or want his apologies. It was frustrating just how often Liam seemed to apologize. There was no need for him to apologize for the things he liked.

Theo sat down on the bed beside him, “So, this is all your favorite stuff?”

“Yep.” Liam grinned, “Well, most of my favorites.”

“Are you planning to share?”

“Of course!”

“Well, if you want to put some of that stuff away for now, you can use the dresser.” Theo gestured towards it with his chin.

“Really?” Liam got up and went over to it, pulling out each of the drawers one by one, “Where’s your stuff?”

“Jesus, someone’s nosy.”

“No, really.”

“I’m still moving in, ok?”

Liam looked like he didn’t entirely buy it, but he put most of the snacks away in one of the top drawers. He kept out a bag of jalapeno chips, some gummy worms and a couple cans of drinks that said watermelon on them, but definitely didn’t look like they actually contained any watermelon.

Sure enough, Liam pulled out his phone and started showing Theo the new videos that had been posted recently. The little wolf nestled in against him under the guise of making it easier for both of them to see, but Theo didn’t really care why. He liked having Liam close. Especially when he was close enough that he could smell that light scent of strawberries on him.

They watched videos for a few hours, Liam occasionally rotating their snack supply. Theo liked trying all the different kinds of junk food. He hadn’t really gotten to eat that kind of stuff when he was a kid and had even less opportunities when he was with the Dread Doctors.

Eventually Liam started to drift off and Theo realized he was tired too. He put their current snacks away with the others in the dresser. He felt weirdly eager to use the new toothbrush and toothpaste he’d bought before bed.

Theo stopped at the door to the room, “Hey, I’m gonna go get ready for bed. I’ll be back in a couple minutes.”

“Hey, that’s not fair. What am I supposed to do?”

“You didn’t really have a routine last time you stayed here.” Theo raised an eyebrow at him.

Liam scoffed, “Well, I’m not loaded with wolfsbane tonight.”

“Come on then.”

Theo headed for the bathroom leaving the doors open as he went. Liam stepped into the bathroom, it was pretty obvious how tired he was. Theo was already brushing his teeth when he came in and kept seeing his eyelids drooping when he looked over at him.

“I didn’t bring anything.” Liam pouted.

“I noticed.” Theo handed him the extra toothbrush he’d bought.

“Oh, uh, thanks.”

Liam seemed kind of unsure as he took it, but he still opened it up and took a spot at the sink after Theo had spit and rinsed. He leaned against the door frame as Liam finished up brushing. He grinned as the second toothbrush was placed in the holder beside his. There was something oddly satisfying about it.

* * *

Liam rinsed the toothpaste out of his mouth and looked back up at the mirror. He hadn’t even thought about having overnight stuff, but he was glad Theo had. When he looked over and saw Theo leaning there staring at him, he checked the mirror again to see if he had some toothpaste on him somewhere, but couldn’t find any.

“Do I have something on my face?” Liam realized his tiredness was making him sound grumpy.

“Nah, you’re fine.”

“Then what are you staring at?”

“Nothing.” Theo took his weight off the door, “You good?”

Liam checked the mirror again to make sure Theo wasn’t messing with him, but still couldn’t find anything, “Yeah.”

Theo led him back to the bedroom. He realized that they’d been close for the last few hours and he hadn’t even really thought anything of it. It was different than when he hung out with Nolan. He wasn’t trying to force it or figure out how he felt about it. It just was.

That and he liked Theo’s room. Sure there wasn’t really anything in it, but he felt safe there. Like the truck, the space carried the chimera’s scent and he felt so calm sitting in the middle of it. Sitting with Theo.

Maybe it was dumb, but he liked sitting around watching videos with him. Liam was also surprised by just how few of the snacks Theo had tried before. He liked being able to share something new with him and he was starting to understand just how much Theo missed while he was with the Dread Doctors. It honestly made him a little sad.

Once they were back in the room, Theo dropped down onto the right side of the bed and pulled the blanket over him. Liam realized there was no air mattress, no attempt to offer for either of them to sleep on the floor. He was going to be sleeping in the bed with him. They’d shared the bed before, twice even, but this time there was no excuse, no supermoon. No justification other than they were comfortable enough with each other to do so.

Liam slipped under the blanket on the other side of the bed. It was nice and warm and it didn’t hurt that it smelled like Theo. He shifted the pillows around a bit, trying to get situated.

“Comfortable?” Theo asked.

Almost, “Uh, kinda.”

“What’s wrong, little wolf?” Theo had shifted to look at him.

Liam looked down at the space between them, the spot where the blanket dipped back down to touch the bed. He didn’t like it. He wasn’t sure how to explain that though, especially with how tired he was, so he just looked back up to Theo with a frown.

Theo’s eyebrows scrunched together and looked down to that same empty space clearly trying to figure out what was bothering Liam. He chuckled a bit before lifting the blanket and holding it up. Liam wasn’t really sure what he was doing.

“Well?” Theo looked at him like he should know what to do.

He remembered how they’d slept in the bed before, but he wasn’t really sure if that’s what Theo meant. When he didn’t move, Theo met him halfway, scooting a little closer and nodding to him. Liam felt an embarrassed grin sneak onto his face before he curled in against Theo. The blanket lowered back down onto them and the arm holding it wrapped around him, keeping him close. He buried his face in Theo’s chest and happily breathed in the chimera’s scent.

“Better?”

Liam still felt a bit embarrassed, but he wasn’t going anywhere, “Mmmhmmm.”

“Good.”

Theo reached back to turn off the lamp on the nightstand leaving them in darkness. Without the light, Liam focused on the slow steady heartbeat just an inch away from him. It wasn’t long before the gentle droning thumps and the scent of his new anchor sent him off to sleep.

* * *

Theo woke up as the sunlight started to filter into the room. Liam was still firmly nuzzled against his chest and he had no interest in disturbing him. He leaned his head down and let his nose rest in Liam’s hair, breathing in the soft scent of the little wolf.

He thought about the things he needed to do that weekend. He’d already bought what he could afford for the bathroom. He still needed to buy some groceries. And he’d told Melissa he would do some work on the backyard, but he figured he could take care of that tomorrow. Though when Liam woke up it would probably be a good idea to get the grocery shopping out of the way so he could make them some food.

Liam began to stir awake, rubbing his face against his chest in the process. Theo rolled onto his back and the little wolf followed with him, putting an arm around his stomach. He gently rubbed Liam’s back.

“Good morning.” Theo whispered.

Liam grumbled and nuzzled into him more, “No, not ready.”

Theo laughed, “Ok, but when you are ready we need to go to the store.”

“Why?” Liam was talking into his chest.

“Because I don’t have any food in the house.”

“But, snacks.”

“You can’t be serious?”

“I’m very serious.”

“We’re not eating snacks all day.”

“Watch me.”

Theo shook his head and chuckled. He understood not wanting to go to the store. Hell, he understood not wanting to even get out of the bed, but he needed to get the shopping done anyway and it would give them something to do besides sit around and watch videos. Not that he minded it, but a little change of pace would be nice.

Theo patted his back, “I’ll give you 10 more minutes.”

“Ugh, fine.”

They lay there together for a while longer. Theo stared up at the ceiling while the little wolf clung to his chest. After what he guessed was about ten minutes he gently shook Liam.

“Alright, little wolf, let’s get a move on.”

“Nooooo...” 

“Yes. Come on.”

Liam slowly sat up, a grumpy little pout on his face. Theo rolled his eyes and sat up with him. He couldn’t help but reach out and try to straighten some of the wild mess Liam’s hair had become overnight. The wrinkles had set into their clothes too, making them both look pretty scruffy.

“Do we really have to go to the store?” Liam’s pout hadn’t left.

“Yes, we can’t just eat junk all day.” Theo could see Liam preparing another argument, “Correction, I won’t just eat junk all day.”

“But, you liked it last night.”

“Yeah, and I can already feel my stomach revolting.”

Theo stood up and stretched, twisting and popping some joints in the process. Liam hadn’t gotten off the bed yet, instead he’d pulled out his phone. As he went through it, he started to look worried.

“Everything ok?”

“No.” Liam was still scrolling.

“Care to share with the rest of us.”

“I, uh, forgot to text my parents last night.”

Theo started to get worried too. He knew Liam could be out late and even stay out, but last time Melissa had stepped in to explain it to his parents. He didn’t really know how Liam’s parents would react to him basically having gone missing.

“What does that mean?”

Liam hung his head, “They want me to come home. Now.”

Theo sighed, “Then let’s go.”

“Can’t I stay a little longer?”

He wanted him to. He’d basically already planned on him being around all day. He didn’t need to upset any more parents in Beacon Hills. Melissa had forgiven him for some reason, but he wasn’t so sure Liam’s mom and step-dad would be understanding.

“We both know that’s a bad idea.”

“Yeah.” Liam fell back onto the bed.

This little brat. “Hey, no! Up, Liam, let’s go.”

Liam just lay there and stared up at the ceiling. Theo gave him a minute to see if he would move and he didn’t. He was going to have to make this happen.

“Alright, just remember, I asked to do this the easy way.”

“What?” Liam looked around confused.

Theo grabbed the little wolf and hefted him over his shoulder, “We’re going.”

“Theo--”

“Ah,” He cut off Liam’s complaints, “I’m not pissing off your parents.”

Liam sulked and hung on Theo as dead weight. He carried him out of the room and down the stairs, pausing when he realized Melissa was looking at them from over the top of the cup of coffee she was sipping. He set Liam down.

“Aww, I thought you were--” Liam paused as he noticed Melissa sitting in the living room, “Uh, hi.”

“Sorry, gotta go.” Theo shrugged.

“It’s ok if he stays.” Melissa set down her coffee.

“No, it’s not. Liam forgot to tell his parents he was staying over.”

Melissa raised her eyebrows, it was obvious she understood their situation. Theo dragged Liam out of the house and into his truck. He really hoped Liam’s parents wouldn’t be too upset.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I love you guys! <3
> 
> Thanks for being here!


	12. Grounded

Liam sat on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. The conversation with his step-dad hadn’t gone how he wanted at all. Dr. Geyer had grounded him for a week. He was only allowed out of the house for school and lacrosse practice.

He tried to explain that he just forgot, but his step-dad was already too angry to listen, talking about how Liam could have been dead in a ditch somewhere and about how his mother had been freaking out. He was just going to have to bite the bullet on this one. He’d had such a great night until he read that text.

He growled and threw himself back onto the bed, staring at the phone he’d forgotten last night. If they’d have used his phone to watch videos last night instead of Theo’s he might not be in this situation, but they hadn’t. The notifications showed he had texts from Mason and Theo waiting for him. He started with Theo’s message.

_ So, how mad were they? _

_ I’m grounded for a week. _

_ Ouch, I guess we better make sure to let them know next time. _

Next time. Liam grinned at his phone, at those two words. He really liked being around Theo, even the snuggling. Maybe especially the snuggling, but he didn’t know what that meant. He needed to talk to Mason and Corey. He opened the text from Mason.

_ Hey man, you’re late to telling me all about your date. What happened? I need to know! _

Where to begin? Liam retraced the events of the last day. After a few moments he tapped out a fairly quick summary.

_ Went to eat chicken nuggets. Went to the arcade. He tried to kiss me. I broke it off. He freaked out and abandoned me. _

A minute or two after he sent it, his phone lit up with a call. He should have known that Mason wasn’t going to be happy with the lack of details. He answered though, because talking out his questions might be easier than trying to text them.

“Wow, dude, what the hell?” Mason was just as critical as he expected him to be.

“I know. Ok. I know. I should have just talked to him in the parking lot at school, but there were so many people around and he was so excited.”

“We told you it wasn’t gonna get any easier. Hold on, I’m putting you on speaker.” He could hear the change in the way the other side of the call sounded.

“Hi, Corey...” Liam sighed.

“Wow, don’t sound too happy to talk to me or anything.” Corey was hopefully being sarcastic.

“Sorry. Look guys. I know I messed up. Can we just acknowledge that and move on?”

“Sounds fair to me, but if you don’t want to talk about your date, what do you want to talk about?” He could hear Mason’s curiosity rising.

Liam took a deep breath, “Uh, after Nolan abandoned me at the arcade, Theo picked me up.”

“Oh, ok.” Mason was clearly intrigued, “Please continue.”

“Well. He was mad at me for dating Nolan and I kind of told him that he’s my new anchor.”

Liam wasn’t sure if he should have said any of that, but he didn’t know what else to do anymore. The whole situation with Theo was confusing whenever he tried to think about it. Maybe they could help.

“Was that some weird way of asking him out?” Corey sounded a little confused, which wasn’t reassuring.

Or maybe they couldn’t, “I-- What?-- No.”

“Isn’t an anchor usually someone you’re in a relationship with?”

“Scott said it could be a friend too.” Liam was getting defensive and he wasn’t sure why.

“Oh, ok. Well, what did he say?”

Liam tried to think if Theo had really said anything about it. He’d said he didn’t hate him, but he hadn’t really acknowledged anything about being Liam’s anchor. Liam wondered if he should be worrying.

“He didn’t say anything.”

Mason butt back in, “Nothing? Really?”

“No. I tried to apologize and he told me not to.”

“Huh, ok. What else happened?”

“We ate at the diner and then went back to his place.” Liam braced for jokes.

Thankfully, Mason didn’t take the opening, “What happened there?”

“We hung out for a few hours and I spent the night.”

“And that’s it?”

“Well, no. We sort of cuddled for a few hours and watched videos on his phone. I mean, it wasn’t like cuddling cuddling, but uh basically I guess.”

“Did you like it?”

Yeah, he kind of did, “I didn’t really think about it, but, I guess, yeah.”

“Ok, is there anything else?”

Liam hesitated, but ended up mentioning it anyway, “Um, we did sort of snuggle when we went to bed.”

“Awww.” Corey gasped and it made him nervous from some reason,

“Did you really?” he could almost hear how high Mason’s right eyebrow was.

“That’s so cute.” Corey just made him more nervous.

“Uh, guys, um, What do you think?”

“Do you really want to know?” Mason sounded a bit wary.

“Yeah, just tell me.”

“Dude, I... I think you have a boyfriend.”

* * *

Theo had just finished mowing when Liam texted him back. Being grounded for a week wasn’t too bad. He made sure to let Liam know that he’d try to remind him the next time they hung out. If there was a next time. Liam had stopped texting after he said that, so he wasn’t really sure what was going on.

He tried to keep himself busy so he didn’t think about it. He finished with the backyard, then moved on to the inside of the house. He cleaned the kitchen and the upstairs bathroom before cleaning stopped being a good enough distraction. He didn’t really want to be the one who messaged first, but he was too worried.

_ If you don’t respond to this message I’m going to assume your phone was taken away. _

He didn’t see any typing or anything. Maybe Liam’s parents had cut him off. It was frustrating, but there really wasn’t anything he could do about it.

He wandered back to his bedroom. He’d meant to just lay down, maybe take a nap, but he found himself looking into the snack drawer he’d inherited from Liam. Sure it was all garbage, but it really was good. He pulled two gummy sharks out of their bag and took them with him to the bed. They were really sweet, but he liked the weird sort of ‘berry, but not really’ flavor they had. As he was nibbling the tail off of the first one, his phone dinged. Liam had messaged him back.

_ They didn’t take it away. _

Well, that didn’t make him feel better about the extended silence. He looked at the little shark and sneered at it before biting it’s face off. He couldn’t be mad at Liam, but the shark was another story.

_ Good. Are you sure you’re ok? _

_ Yeah. Do you think you can come by tonight? _

Theo was starting to wonder how being grounded worked. He was pretty sure you couldn’t have friends over, but maybe Liam’s parents did it differently. 

_ Are your parents ok with that? _

_ They’ll be at work. _

_ That’s not what I asked you. _

_ No, but I really need to talk to you. _

What could Liam want to talk to him about so badly he would risk getting into more trouble? He started to wonder if there might be a new threat to Beacon Hills, but if that was true he was sure Liam would have just told him. This was definitely something else.

_ It can’t wait? _

The dots that showed Liam typing kept appearing and disappearing. Was Liam typing up a long message or just couldn’t figure out what to say? After a couple of minutes he got his answer.

_ No. _

_ You’re absolutely sure? _

_ Yes. Please. _

Great, a ‘we need to talk’ with no indication at all what it might be about. He hated that. Shark number two lost its face in his frustration.

_ When? _

_ Nine. _

It was only 3pm. He was going to have to kill six hours somehow. He almost wished he could do it literally.

* * *

Nolan had been taking out his frustrations through online play. He’d actually raised another rank in the process. Normally he would have celebrated, but he definitely didn’t feel like doing that today.

Why did Liam do that to him? ‘He’d tried but he couldn’t’? What the hell did that even mean? They’d spent a whole afternoon cuddling on his bed, and had a pretty fun date, but Liam suddenly wasn’t interested in him?

He was pissed off that Liam had pushed him away without any warning, but he was more pissed off at himself for losing the last friend he had. He should have told Liam no when he asked if he liked him. Then none of this would have happened at all.

He was dreading Monday. School was going to suck. He hoped Coach wouldn’t be back yet. Then there wouldn’t be lacrosse practice and he wouldn’t have to try to co-caption with the guy who just broke his heart.

On top of everything else, he’d had the nightmare again last night. The one in the zoo. The whole time Liam was literally ripping his heart out Gabe told him what a moron he was, and he was right, no one cared about him. 

If he had someone to talk to he might be able to get out of this downward spiral he was in. His mother would listen to him if he asked, but it wasn’t the kind of support he needed. He really just wanted a friend, someone to help him now feel so lost.

He decided to go for a run. Maybe a workout might distract him from the mess of his life for a while. When he stepped out into the cool afternoon air, he started running as hard as he could. He focused on the feeling of his feet hitting the pavement and blocked out everything else.

* * *

Liam stared at the time. He was waiting for nine o’clock to arrive, but it was still an hour off. His parents had left for work just minutes ago, so he was stuck in an empty house, and he really hated being home alone.

His conversation with Mason and Corey hadn’t gone how he expected at all. Though, they were probably right. Even if they’d pushed him towards Nolan before and that didn’t go so great, they hadn’t realized he was thinking of someone else. So, really, they were kind of pushing him towards Theo.

He still didn’t know just how far he’d be able to go. The idea of being with another guy didn’t really bother him, but that wasn’t the same as actually doing it. He did know for sure that he wanted to be close to Theo again.

The thing that was eating at him now was whether Theo would want to be close to him. He’d agreed to come see him and talk. Liam hoped that was a good sign.

Theo had always been there for him ever since he’d brought him back. Protecting him even if it put him in danger. He acted like he didn’t want to, but somehow he still always put Liam first. He worried this was just another case of putting him first and everything from this last week was Theo just trying to do what Liam wanted him to do.

He couldn’t sit here and stew for another hour. He’d definitely overthink things if he did. So, he called Mason. The phone rang three times before it was finally picked up.

“Hey, man. What’s up?” Mason answered.

“Theo’s going to be here at nine and I don’t know what to do and I keep trying to think of what I’m going to say and nothing sounds right. Please tell me you have some advice.” Liam rambled.

“Do you want Corey in on this?”

“I’ll take any help I can get.”

There was the familiar sound of the phone switching to speaker mode before Corey’s voice came through, “Hey Liam.”

“Hey. So, uh, can you guys help me not be stressed out about this?”

“Well, why are you stressed out?” 

“I’ve never had to do this before, ok?” Liam realized he’d lashed out a bit, “Sorry. I just. This is still so confusing.”

“What about Hayden?”

Liam thought about that for a few minutes. There hadn’t been any kind of talk or discussion. He’d tried to help her and it had turned into something more.

“I dunno. That just kind of happened.”

“So, then why are you set on talking with Theo?” Mason with the tough but reasonable question.

Liam paused. He knew he really needed to talk to him, but why? Couldn’t he just see how things went? What kept him from waiting?

“I-- I think I just need to know. If it’s not the same for him I can move on, I guess.” At least he hoped he could.

“Ok, that’s fair. I’m still not sure what you want us to do?”

Liam looked at the clock again, “Just keep talking to me for another half hour ok?”

“You’re lucky we’re already staying in tonight.”

“Yeah, yeah. So, any idea how I should ask?” He really hoped they had something, anything.

“Well, you could always start with a strip tease and see if that gets his attention.”

The phone on the other end went back off speaker and Corey sounded frustrated, “Alright, so, Mason’s no help.” He thought he could hear play fighting on the other end, “Besides, he had it easy with me. What exactly are you trying to ask Theo?”

“You know, like, how does he feel?”

“Liam, if you can’t even tell me what you want to ask him how are you supposed to actually ask?”

Liam realized he’d asked what he wanted to ask before, but he’d asked Nolan. This time it was different. This time the answer really mattered to him.

“I guess I want to know if he likes me. Like... you know, really likes me.”

“Ok, good. That’s a start.”

“A start?”

“Yeah, are you ready for the possibilities?”

No, no he was not. He really didn’t think he could handle losing another anchor, or scaring him off. And even if Theo did like him, he had no idea what to do next. What would that even be like?

Liam spoke slowly, “So, if I said no?”

“Then we’ll be here if you need someone to talk to afterwards. Besides you know Mason’s just going to be waiting to hear what happened.”

He was well aware of that, “Yeah. Uh, thanks Corey.”

“We’ll be available.”

“You can put it back on speaker.”

Liam looked at the clock again, still another twenty minutes before Theo was supposed to show up. He headed down to the kitchen, phone still in hand. He was too stressed to eat, but it gave him more things to wander around and look at while he made small talk with his packmates and tried to forget the time.

* * *

Theo was already on his way to Liam’s house. He’d cleaned Melissa’s house from top to bottom just trying to avoid thinking about the time. He’d been planning to do it throughout the week, but he couldn’t just sit around.

He still wasn’t sure what was so important it required them talking in person. Liam seemed like he’d been avoiding any sort of heavy discussion when they were together. So, he wasn’t sure how concerned he should be.

When he pulled up to the house, there weren’t any cars in the driveway. Liam had told him his parents would be gone, but he was almost relieved to see that they really were. The last thing he wanted was to cause any more trouble for him.

As he walked up to the door, it opened. Liam stood there, nervousness coming off of him in waves. He was starting to worry about this conversation even more.

"Hey." Liam's voice quivered.

"Hey."

Liam held the door open for him. He assumed he wanted him to come in. If Liam hadn't looked so helpless he would have insisted on talking right there in the doorway, but instead he followed the little wolf up to what he realized was his room. Liam sat on his bed and looked down at the floor. He waited for him to talk, but he didn’t say anything.

Theo stood by the door, “You asked me here to talk, Liam. So, let’s talk.”

Liam lifted his head and he’d never seen him look so lost, “I want to talk, but I-- I still don’t know what to say.”

Theo decided he’d rather be sitting for whatever this conversation was, so he took a seat next to Liam on the bed. Liam watched him, eyes never leaving him once. Still, he wasn’t really talking.

“Liam, you’re kind of scaring me.”

He realized that was the wrong thing to say as the panic started to gleam in Liam’s eyes. The little wolf’s brow knit together and he hung his head again. He heard a little sniffle, then a small choking sound before he saw Liam trying to wipe his eyes.

He had no idea what he should do. He hated watching Liam cry like that but he didn’t know if he should try to comfort him or if he should give him space. So, he sat there quietly waiting for Liam to do something, anything.

“I--”, Liam was choking on his words, “I’m sorry. I shou-- shouldn’t have asked y-- you to come.”

“Well, I’m here now, Liam.” He tried to make sure his tone was calm.

He desperately wanted Liam to give him permission to do something. To tell him if he should go or stay, if he should hug him or stay back. The little wolf just stared at the floor, fighting a losing battle with his tears and Theo felt powerless not being able to fight them for him.

“I-- I don’t want-- you to leave.”

At least he knew he shouldn’t go now, “I’m not going anywhere. I told you, I’m here now.”

“N-- no,” he choked again, “I d-- don’t want you to leave. Ev-- everyone else is-- leaving.”

He started to understand. Hayden had left him. Scott, Malia, Stiles, pretty much his whole pack was gone and even Mason and Corey would be going off to college in the fall. Even if Theo had somewhere to go, he definitely wouldn’t now.

“I’m not leaving, little wolf.”

Liam looked up at him finally, eyes red and wet with tears that still hadn’t quite stopped. He bit his lip and Theo worried he might draw blood before he let it go to breath in a jagged breath. He looked like he was searching Theo’s face for some kind of answer to a question he still hadn’t asked.

“W-- why do y-- you call me that?”

Theo didn’t know if he should tell him. At some point, in all the fighting, he knew Liam was his little wolf. He wanted to keep him safe and protect him, even if it meant protecting him from himself sometimes. Could he tell him?

“I thought you didn’t mind it.” Why couldn’t he tell him?

Liam looked so disappointed, like he’d hoped there’d be more to Theo’s words. He really wanted to tell him, but it was too big of a risk. Sure the little wolf didn’t want him to leave, but Liam could still reject him.

“D-- don’t do that. Just-- tell me.” Liam was starting to sound desperate, “Please.”

He was going to have to say something. He couldn’t bear to see the hurt and disappointment, the tears trailing down his cheeks. It was a risk if he told him, but he could tell now it was a risk if he didn’t. One of those risks was preferable to the other.

“Because I want to protect you. Because I need to keep you safe.”

Liam lunged forward and hugged against him, burying his tear-soaked face in his chest. Theo hadn’t meant to do it, but his arms came up and wrapped around Liam. The little wolf shook against his chest and he wanted to make it stop, but he didn’t know what to do.

He sat there, holding Liam, desperate for anything to stop the tears. Eventually, they slowed down and a while after that, they finally stopped. Liam’s breath was still somewhat uneven when he pulled away from him.

“You’re,” Theo could tell he was trying to keep the tears from coming back, “really not leaving?”

Not in a million years, “Never.”

Was this why Liam had asked him here? Had he done something to make him think he wanted to get out of Beacon Hills? He tried to think about the last week and he couldn’t think of anything he did or said that would give that impression.

“Theo?” Liam’s voice almost squeeked, “Do you like being around me?”

His mind raced again, what had he done? Well, he’d ignored his texts, he’d made him pay for his food and gas, and then of course he’d shouted at him after picking him up downtown. All the while, taking his pain, letting Liam curl up against him, and holding him at night. Of course the little wolf had to ask, he’d gotten nothing but mixed signals.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Can you stay for a while?”

“Liam--”

“I don’t like being alone here. Please.”

He wanted to stay. He really really did, but if Liam’s parents found out, he didn’t know how they would react to Liam breaking their punishment. Not to mention, having some guy they’d never met in their house with him. He really didn’t think it was a good idea.

“Liam... your parents--”

“They won’t be back until morning. Please.”

Liam’s tears were threatening to return again and Theo didn’t want to be the one to make that happen. He could stay for a little while, but he knew it was a bad idea and a big risk. However, he definitely didn’t want to see anymore tears come out of his little wolf.

He nodded slowly, “I can stay for a while.”

The start of a smile appeared on Liam’s face before he looked down. There seemed to be a redness in his cheeks that wasn’t put there by the tears that had been streaming across them. He could hear Liam taking some intentionally deep breaths to try to normalize again.

Liam looked back up, face more composed, “Do you want to play some video games?”

“Whatever you want to do.”

Liam turned on the TV and his game system. He handed Theo a controller, while also keeping one for himself. As everything booted up, he was still occasionally rubbing away the signs of crying, but the redness around his eyes and the way the salt had dried his skin stuck around.

They played a few different games. Liam’s sadness was soon forgotten as he taught Theo the ins and outs of each game. After a couple hours, Liam was starting to yawn and his head would occasionally dip. He could sense his little wolf’s reluctance when he powered down the console.

“Can you stay just a little longer?”

He wondered if Liam might be able to read his thoughts. It was pretty late and the longer he stayed the bigger the risk Liam’s parents might return for some reason. At this point, how was he going to say no?

“Sure.”

Liam turned off the light and crawled into bed, under his comforter, looking at Theo, his tired eyes asking for something without words. Theo lay beside him, on top of the blanket, and watched Liam snuggle up against him. He put an arm around him and stayed with him.

After Liam had been asleep for a while, Theo carefully lifted his arm and pulled away, moving slowly to avoid waking him back up as he got to his feet. He looked around the room for paper and something to write with. He found a notebook and a pen and left Liam a note to tell him that he had to go, because he didn’t want him to get in any more trouble.

When he finished the note, he saw the shirt Liam had borrowed from him back at the gym. He could tell that it hadn’t been washed yet and when Liam began to stir in his sleep, he realized why. The little wolf was sniffing where he’d laid down next to him.

He worried Liam might wake up if his nose didn’t find what it was looking for, so he pulled off the shirt he was wearing and put it on the bed beside him. He put on the unwashed shirt and by the time he’d finished slipping into it, Liam had buried his face in the one he’d left for him. His breathing and heart rate told Theo he was fast asleep again.

He crept carefully down the stairs and out of the house, turning the lock on the doorknob so the door would lock behind him. He started his truck, hoping that the sound of the engine wouldn’t wake Liam, before ever so cautiously pulling out of the driveway and heading back to Melissa’s. The lack of traffic in the night added extra weight to what was already a pretty somber drive.

The shirt he wore now had lost any trace of his scent, but instead it carried Liam’s. Must have been from the days his little wolf had worn it during the supermoon and the time it spent hanging in his room. He originally thought he would wash it to add a bit more variety to the clothes he wore to work, but that definitely wasn’t happening now.

When he got back home, he unlocked the door and stepped inside. Melissa was sitting at the kitchen island picking at a piece of pie in pajamas. She grinned when he came in.

She set her fork down, “Welcome back. You know I only asked you to help with the backyard. You didn’t have to clean the whole house.”

“I could never clean again, if you’d prefer.”

The eyebrow she raised in response told him that she wasn’t amused by his snarkiness tonight, “Do you want some pie?”

She didn’t wait for him to answer, getting up and grabbing a small plate and a fork. He came and sat down at the island while she went to the fridge and put a slice on the dessert plate. She set it down in front of him with the fork before returning to her own and picking at it.

“So, we really need to discuss your rent.” Melissa plucked off another bite with her fork.

He’d been wondering when she’d get around to that, “Alright, how much do I owe you?”

She pulled a folded piece of paper out of her pocket and slid it across the table at him. When he saw the number he was kind of confused by how high it was. He got even more confused when he realized it was actually a check that was made out to him. He didn’t like this.

He didn’t want anyone’s pity money, “What is this?” He tried not to sound angry.

“It’s your security deposit.”

“Doesn’t the tenant normally pay that to the landlord?”

“Normally, but considering you’re my live-in bodyguard now Derek thought you should get paid for your services.”

He still wanted to be angry, but he honestly didn’t think Derek was capable of pity. Besides, he’d heard the Hale family was loaded. This was probably chump change to them anyway.

“Does he realize I’m not going to be spending every minute of my life around you?”

“Cute that you think I’d want that. There’s enough overlap with you working at the hospital and sleeping in my house for him though.”

Part of him said to tear up the check, but another part couldn’t ignore the number on it, “Fine, so how much is my rent?”

Melissa popped a bite of pie in her mouth before answering. When she took her time chewing it, he realized he was going to have to brace for more of whatever was happening. She shrugged as she swallowed the bite.

“He paid it. Up front.” She broke off a piece of crust, “Got everything caught up today.”

What the everliving fuck? “Really?” He focused on her pulse as she responded.

“Really. Honestly, I feel a lot better. No more picking and choosing who gets paid when.”

He didn’t catch a single jump or change. Since she was probably telling the truth, he redirected his frustration at Derek and his stupid Hale money. If he was going to take money from someone then at least it was someone who could afford to lose some.

He did have an immediate concern outside of how Derek had somehow heard about him living with Melissa. He realized he was going to have to get a bank account for two reasons now. One for this stupid check and the other so he could set up direct deposit at work. He had no idea how to do that.

“Hey, do you think you could help me set up a bank account?”

“Oh, I thought you had one.” Melissa gestured like she was holding a phone.

He understood what she meant, “No, I used prepaid cards.”

“Well, the bank’s closed tomorrow, but we can go on Monday before work.”

“As long as it’s not going to make you late.”

“Nah, should be pretty quick.”

“Ok, Monday morning then.”

Melissa finished the last bit of her pie and he realized he hadn’t even touched his yet. He took a bite and it was actually really good. He savored the slice, taking his time even after Melissa left for bed.

Tonight had been a really strange night. He hoped Liam had gotten the answers he was looking for from their talk, and that he would find the note he’d written when he woke up. Spending more time with him had been nice, even if the stress and concern of his parents coming home at some point had lingered in the back of his mind. Then there was how his little wolf had buried his face in the shirt. He’d really wanted to take another picture, but he worried the sound of taking it might wake him.

This whole business with Derek and Melissa was like a weird cherry on top of it all. He wanted to text Liam about it, but still didn’t want to do anything that might wake him up. He’d have to reach out to him tomorrow.


	13. Monday

Melissa was right, it didn't take long to get Theo's account set up at the bank, but it was apparently going to take a while before he could access the money from Derek's check. That was fine anyway, because he still wasn't really sure how to spend it. He knew he needed things for his room and some new clothes, but he didn't want to do that shopping on his own.

She'd already gone ahead to work, but he had the day off. The hospital had asked if he'd swap shifts yesterday and he agreed. Partly because he didn't really have anything else to do and partly because he wanted today off so he could visit Liam. He knew his little wolf was allowed to stay at school for lacrosse practice and he planned to stop by and watch. That still wouldn't be for a few hours, so he'd have to find something to occupy himself with for now.

He hadn't texted Liam at all this weekend mostly because of his plan to see him today, but also because he didn't want to be talked into coming by again and risking the wrath of Liam's parents. Though, Liam was supposed to be at school now, so maybe he could avoid that. Even though Liam hadn't texted him either, he decided to go ahead and check on him.

_ Hey, make it through the weekend ok? _

Theo started making some breakfast for himself, assuming Liam probably wouldn't be able to get back to him right away. And he was right. He was part way through eating before his phone dinged.

_ Yeah. Being grounded sucks. _

_ Like I said, next time we'll make sure you tell them. _

_ Ok, how's work? _

_ Not bad at all today. _

It wasn't really a lie if he didn't have to go to work. Besides, he wanted to make sure today was a surprise.

_ Good. I've gotta go. Text me later? _

_ I haven't forgotten my promise already. Talk to you later. _

He finished his breakfast and tried to figure out what to do with the rest of his day. The house had already been completely cleaned, so there was nothing to do here. He decided to go to the gym for a workout.

* * *

Liam tucked his phone back into his pocket as he headed into the library. He was looking forward to Theo texting him back tonight, but right now he was trying to find Nolan. He still needed to apologize.

He scanned the library and didn't see him anywhere on the ground level. Liam moved to the stairs in the middle so he could check the upper floor and spotted him at one of the tables up top. Nolan seemed pretty focused on studying, so he didn't see him approaching.

When Liam grabbed the back of the chair across from him, he looked up and panic started to set into his eyes. Liam stopped and hoped that he wasn’t about to run. When Nolan looked back down at the table, he pulled the seat out and sat down.

“Hey,” Liam was still trying to figure out exactly what he was going to say.

Nolan didn’t look up, “Uh, hi?”

“I’m sorry about Friday.”

“Why did you even say yes?” Nolan’s voice had an edge that was both sad and angry.

Liam was starting to realize just how much he’d hurt him, “Honestly, I was confused and I was trying to figure some things out.”

“So, you didn’t like me?”

“No.” Liam sighed, “Well, not like that.”

Nolan was still talking down into the book in front of him, “What does that mean?”

“I like you as a friend Nolan, but I shouldn’t have gone out with you.”

“And what am I supposed to do with that?” Nolan’s knuckles were white as fist clenched around the pen he was holding.

Liam had wanted to apologize, but now he wasn’t sure he was helping anything. Nolan just seemed to be getting more frustrated the more he talked. He didn’t know if he should just leave him be or if he should keep trying to explain himself.

“I still want to be friends.” Liam tried to touch Nolan’s arm, but he pulled it away.

“I don’t think I can do that.”

A tear dropped down onto the open pages of the book. Nolan tried to wipe it away, but it still left behind a slightly darker splotch amongst the text. This was definitely not what Liam hoped would happen.

“I’m sorry, Nolan. I--”

“I can’t do this right now. Could you just leave me alone?” Nolan was starting to shake.

Liam didn’t want to leave it like this, “I didn’t mean to--”

“Just shut up, ok! Just go back to ignoring me like everyone else!” Nolan snapped at him.

He’d looked up then, eyes red and wet. Other students in the library turned to look at the scene going on upstairs. An awkward quiet took over as most of them stopped talking. Liam was suddenly very self-conscious.

He leaned forward and whispered, “Nolan, I don’t want--”

“If you didn’t like me, you shouldn’t have gone out with me! Just leave me alone!”

Nolan launched himself to his feet. The chair he was sitting in clattered backwards onto the ground. He snatched up his backpack and hugged it to his chest as he started to make his way out of the library, forced to go back down the stairs and through the main study tables to get out. Liam watched over the railing as Nolan wiped his eyes with a sleeve, starting to run as he got close to the exit. After the sound of the door being knocked open cut through the silence, everyone’s eyes went from following Nolan to looking up at Liam.

When the whispers started, Liam folded his arms on the table and buried his face in them. He’d just wanted to apologize. He didn’t expect it to turn into a whole scene. This was definitely not what he’d wanted.

He heard the chair next to him being pulled out and when he looked up, Mason sat beside him and Corey was picking the fallen chair up off the floor. He buried his face again. Of course they’d been there to see it all go wrong.

“Hey, uh, that was rough.” Mason’s voice was a little hushed.

“Yeah, I messed up.” Liam’s words were muffled by his arms.

“Poor guy.” Corey’s words had a hint of melancholy.

“Thanks.” Liam muttered.

“Oh, no. I was talking about Nolan.” Corey corrected him.

Liam groaned in frustration as he sat back up, “I just wanted to apologize.”

Mason patted him on the shoulder, “Well, doesn’t look like he’s ready to hear it.”

Mason turned to see a girl standing at one of the nearby bookshelves staring at them. He opened his eyes wide and tilted his head until she realized he was looking back at her. It seemed to spook her as she jumped a little and walked away.

“Why am I such an idiot?”

“Just because you did something stupid doesn’t mean you’re stupid.”

“Thanks, that’s really comforting. I truly value our friendship.” Liam’s tone danced the line between sarcastic and disgusted.

“Just give him some space.” Mason shrugged.

He realized Mase was right, he did need to give Nolan some space. He could do that in their history class, but lacrosse was going to be a problem. Oh, god. Lacrosse.

“I can’t.”

“What do you mean you can’t, just--”

“Lacrosse.”

“Oh.” Mason nodded, “Yeah, that’s gonna be a problem.”

Corey was looking at the book on the table. He closed it then looked inside the cover, finding something. He pushed the book over to Liam.

“You have History with him, right?” Corey asked.

“Yeah, why?”

He followed Corey’s eyes down to the book, where he really looked at it for the first time. It was Nolan’s History textbook. He wondered if he could beat Nolan to class, but he realized Nolan was already in his seat whenever he made it in there. He knew it was going to be awkward returning it to him, but it was the right thing to do, so he stuffed the book into his backpack.

“We have the same lunch as him. Mason and I can try to talk to him.”

Mason looked a little shocked, “You’re volunteering us for what now?”

“This is kind of our fault too.”

“Ugh, fine. We can try.”

“Mase...”

“I said we can try.” Mason gave another exaggerated shrug.

Liam looked out through the railing again. He kept seeing people whispering to each other and glancing up at him, before turning back to their friends. This was going to be bad.

“So, how’d the other thing go?” Mason asked.

Liam was so wound up over everything he had no idea what Mason was talking about, “Other thing?”

“You know, the talk. With Theo.”

It hadn’t really gone at all, “I didn’t do it.”

“Wait, what?” Mason tilted his head, “All that asking for advice and you still didn’t ask him?”

Liam frowned, “I kept worrying I might scare him off. Then we started talking and he said I was actually scaring him. So I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t ask him.”

“I thought you needed to know.”

“Yeah, I thought so too, but now I don’t know if I want to know.”

Liam started to really understand Nolan then. He didn’t know what he would do or how he would act if Theo rejected him. He felt like a monster.

“What did you talk about then?”

He’d been such a mess that night. He didn’t really know if he wanted to share that with Mason and Corey. In the end he decided he’d only tell them about some of it.

“I asked if he was going to leave Beacon Hills.” Liam knew he’d begged him not to leave, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it that way.

“And?”

“He said he wasn’t going to.”

“Well, that’s good right?” Corey was clearly trying to be encouraging.

“Yeah.” Liam nodded.

“Anything else?”

“He stayed and played video games for a while.”

Liam didn’t want to tell them that he’d cried in his arms for what felt like forever. That when he got too tired to play games Theo had been willing to hold him and help him fall asleep. That he woke up the next morning clutching Theo’s shirt. Or that he’d worn that shirt all day Sunday. Those moments felt too personal to share, even with his best friend, even with his pack.

“Another good sign.” Corey smiled.

He agreed with Corey, it was a good sign and so were all those private things he kept to himself, but he still worried. If he didn’t know if Theo liked him, there would always be the hope that he did. If he asked and it turned out Theo didn’t like him like that, he would be crushed.

“You’re right.” Liam should have sounded happier, but the worry held him back.

After they sat there silent for a while, Corey gestured for Mason to come with him and started getting up from the table, “We’ll try to talk to Nolan at lunch, but you should probably give him some space.”

Liam nodded and watched as they headed out of the library. His free period was almost up and the whispers and looks still hadn’t subsided. He put his head back in his arms and waited for the bell to tell him he had to go.

* * *

Nolan sat down with his lunch and started to pry open the top of his chocolate milk carton. He’d spent the last two classes enduring the gawking and whispering from his classmates. If Liam had just left him alone he wouldn’t have shouted, but he just kept trying to talk to him. And now the rumor mill had gotten hold of the events in the library.

He didn’t think anything could be worse than when Liam had refused his kiss, but this was definitely worse. Everyone knew about it now and he kept hearing their whispers in the halls. People would glance at him and laugh, and he knew exactly why. He wasn’t allowed to forget about it now.

When the two other trays clattered down on the table he was surprised, at least until he saw their owners. Liam must have sent Mason and Corey to apologize for him, but he still wasn’t ready for that. He closed his milk back up, preparing to try to find another empty table.

“Hey, Nolan, we’re sorry.” Corey spoke first.

Nolan’s brow wrinkled, “Why are you sorry?”

“It’s kind of our fault.” Mason admitted.

He remembered that the night Liam had stayed over to watch movies, the night they’d ended up cuddling, that he’d mentioned Mason and Corey knowing he liked him. He wondered how Liam’s rejection could possibly be their fault, so instead of getting up and leaving like he probably should have, he stayed. It didn’t stop him from glaring at them though.

“How?”

Mason looked at Corey for a moment before continuing, “We thought he liked you, so we encouraged him to give it a shot.”

“Well, you were wrong.” Nolan stabbed a fork into the rectangle of pizza on his tray.

“Yeah, we know that now.” Mason sighed, “Can we make it up to you?”

Nolan caught more weird glances, whispering and laughter from a nearby table and gestured towards it, “Not unless you can get that to stop.”

“If we could, we would.” Mason sounded pretty genuine.

Maybe these two weren’t so terrible, “I really liked him.”

Nolan forced himself not to tear up. If he cried in the lunchroom everything would get much much worse. He let out a long slow breath while he tried to keep in control.

“Yeah, we could tell.” Corey actually sounded sad for him.

Nolan didn’t really know why he kept talking. Maybe it was because he actually had someone there listening to him. They might not be his friends, but they did seem to care.

“Have, um, either of you ever had your heart broken?”

Corey raised an eyebrow, “My ex almost killed me. Does that count?”

“Uh, maybe?” What the hell?

“Yeah, I don’t think that counts, babe.” Mason shook his head at Corey.

Nolan didn’t really know what to say after that. So he finally started eating his lunch, working his way through the tray item by item. The pair didn’t leave and they didn’t say anything about the way he ate either. He actually caught Mason glaring back at some of the people who kept staring at him. 

He was actually kind of sad when the bell rang and they all had to go. The last time anyone had joined him for lunch had been before Monroe left. It was kind of nice to have company even if they only talked a little.

He endured the looks and gossip through his next class. On his way there, he’d seen Coach Finstock in the halls. If he was back, that meant lacrosse practice wouldn’t be cancelled and that meant there was no way to avoid Liam for the rest of the day.

Then there was History. He got their early, like usual, and reached into his backpack only to realize he’d left his textbook in the library. How could he have been so stupid? He hid his face in his hands and waited for class to start. He felt something heavy set down on his desk and took his hands away to see Liam leaving his missing book there. Liam had a worried look on his face.

A guy two rows over whistled a catcall at them and he saw Liam glare at the guy, almost snarling. His fists were clenched and the muscles along his arms had tensed up too. Nolan started to worry about what Liam might do.

“Uh, thanks.” 

He caught Liam’s attention with those words and shook his head to try to tell him that it wasn’t worth it. Liam gave him a small nod back and went to his regular seat near the front of the class. He opened his book to where they’d left off last class and there was a piece of paper folded between the pages. He didn’t remember taking any notes, so he pulled it out to see what it might be. It was a note from Liam.

_ Nolan, _

_ I’m really sorry I led you on. I can only imagine how much I must have hurt you on Friday. I do still want to be friends, but I know that might not be possible. _

_ Sorry, _

_ Liam _

Nolan wiped the start of a tear from the corner of his eye and stuffed the note into his pocket. He could see Liam looking back towards him, still worried. He didn’t really know what he was going to do yet, so he kept his eyes on his desk for the rest of the class.

* * *

Liam had finished changing for practice. He looked around the lockers to see Nolan had moved to a locker on the other end of the room. He couldn’t really blame him. Liam knew his note wouldn’t magically change things, but he hoped it at least helped.

He sat on the bench and waited for the rest of the team to finish changing. He checked his phone to make sure he hadn’t missed any messages. Still no text from Theo. He was going to have to ask what time he got off work.

Once it seemed like everyone was done changing, the noise and bustle in the room he expected wasn’t there today. The rest of the team was whispering under their breath about the outburst in the library this morning. Thankfully that stopped when Coach came into the locker room.

“Alright, you idiots. Let's dust off a week's worth of rust out there today!” Finstock shouted as everyone just stood there and stared at him, “That means get out there!”

Liam watched as the rest of the team started heading out to the field. Things definitely felt different today. He picked up his helmet and his stick, getting ready to follow everyone out.

“Dunbar, Holoway, my office. Now!” Coach was already heading back towards it.

Liam glanced over and saw Nolan looking towards him. They caught each other's eyes for a moment before his co-captain lowered his head and started walking after Coach. He headed that way too.

When they both got to the office, Coach was already behind his desk, “Alright, sit down boys.”

The two of them reluctantly took the two seats opposite him. Liam noticed Nolan was staring at Coach’s nameplate, not making eye contact with either of them. He propped his stick on the desk and let his helmet rest in his lap.

Finstock’s voice was at his normal shouting level, “What the hell happened in the library this morning?”

Liam looked over to Nolan who suddenly looked terrified again. He could see his eyes looking around the room, like a trapped animal checking for an escape. Liam looked back to Coach who was obviously waiting for one of them to start talking.

Coach slammed a fist on his desk, “One of you start explaining. Even the teachers are talking about it.”

Liam wished he was surprised by that last part, “Uh, Nolan and I went on a date. It... didn’t go well.”

“From what I’ve heard that’s an understatement. Are your hormones going to get in the way in the way of the team?”

Nolan scowled, “Definitely not.”

“They better not.” Coach looked back and forth between them.

“They won’t coach.” Liam turned to Nolan, “Right?”

Nolan hesitated for a moment, “Right.”

“Good. Now, kiss and make-- Uh, hug it ou-- Uh, just get it together, ok! We have a game to win this week!”

Liam picked his lacrosse stick back up and looked around at Nolan. The two of them left Coach’s office and started making their way to the field. Liam stopped halfway through the locker room.

“Hey, uh, Nolan.”

Nolan stopped, turning slowly, “Yeah?”

“I really am sorry.” Liam wanted to look him in the eye, but couldn’t, “And I know that doesn’t fix everything or anything, but I am.”

“I know.” 

“I can,” Liam took a deep breath before he said the next part, “step down as co-captain if that will help.”

Nolan looked at him like he was insane, “No you can’t. I can’t do this by myself.”

“Yes you can, you did it before.”

“That was when Ga-- Things were different then.” Nolan looked down between them, “No one respects me anymore.”

“Yes they do.”

“No, Liam, they don’t. They respect you. They just tolerate me. Everyone still sees me as a traitor.” Nolan’s grip on his lacrosse stick tightened.

Liam wasn’t sure what to say. Nolan had done some pretty nasty things, granted it was under the anuke-ite’s influence, but not everyone had the capacity to forgive like he did. The gossip going around right now wasn’t going to make things any better.

“Then we need to show them you should be respected.”

Nolan looked confused, “How are we supposed to do that?”

“You’re gonna take the lead for a while. I’ll back you up, ok. You’re making all the calls.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Well I do.” Liam glanced back towards Finstock’s office, “Let’s go before Coach comes and yells at us again.”

“Ok.”

Nolan shrugged and started walking out. Liam knew it was going to be hard for him to do what he asked, but he needed to make up for what he did and he thought this would be a good way to start doing just that. He nodded to himself before following Nolan out onto the field.

* * *

Theo got to Beacon Hills High School as the busses were leaving. He still had a pretty good memory of the layout of the school from when he’d been enrolled there, as brief as it was. He parked his truck and started walking towards the lacrosse field.

The school was pretty empty. There were still some students milling about, but no one seemed to pay much attention to him and he liked it that way. He eventually made it out onto the field. The lacrosse team was just starting to do some drills, but he didn’t see Liam out there.

Theo climbed up into the bleachers and took a spot towards the top. He hoped Liam hadn’t gone home early or something stupid like that. Maybe he was just a little late.

He pulled out his phone and logged into the app for his bank account. He knew the money wouldn’t be there yet, but he kept looking to see if the check had processed anyway. Still just the pending message with no funds available yet.

“Hey! Didn’t expect to see you here!” An excited voice said from the row behind him.

Somehow Mason had snuck up behind him. When he saw Corey standing there with him he realized exactly how he’d done it. He hadn’t thought he’d need to check for an ambush, so he hadn’t been paying much attention to the scents around him.

“Hi Mason. Corey.” Theo grumbled.

“I told you it was a bad idea.” Corey sighed and headed down to the field.

“Nah, he’s fine.” Mason laughed it off, “What brings you here?”

“Just here to talk to Liam.”

“He’s probably not going to have much time until after practice.”

Theo scanned the field again, “Is he still here? I don’t see him out there.”

“He better be, I’m giving him a ride home today.”

“Well, if that’s the only reason you’re sticking around, you can go.” Theo wasn’t about to let anyone else drive Liam home after he came all the way out here.

“Uh... ok.” Mason moved down to sit on the same row, “You can take him home if you want, I’m just here to support the team.”

“Support the team?” Theo arched an eyebrow.

“I like to watch my boyfriend play.” Mason gave him that same weird look Melissa had been giving him.

“Well, I didn’t expect to be here this early.” He lied.

Mason’s brow furrowed, “How early were you planning to be? You know they practice for, like, 4 hours, right?”

“Jesus, are you kidding me?” Theo hadn’t realized what he’d gotten himself into.

“Nope, but at least the view is nice.”

He followed Mason’s gaze out towards the field where half of the team had taken off their jerseys, Corey among them. Theo shrugged, he was definitely going to have to get here later next time he did this. Four hours of watching sports just so he could spend maybe fifteen minutes driving Liam home, not the best trade-off.

“Hey, how long are the actual games?” Theo was still keeping an eye out for Liam.

“Uh, two-ish hours?” Mason shrugged, eyes still locked on the field.

Theo wondered why he was considering coming out for them, but the answer was pretty obvious. Lacrosse mattered to Liam, so he wanted to be there for him. Hell, he might even cheer. Not for the team. Just him. Maybe.

He saw a couple more players coming out of the school and he realized the second one was Liam, “Hey, who’s that with Liam?”

“It’s Nolan, the other co-captain.” Mason said that like he should know it.

But he didn’t know it. Liam hadn’t mentioned that to him even once. The guy he’d dated, the guy who’d abandoned him, was his co-captain. He was starting to wonder if there was a reason for that.

“Good to know.” Theo sneered.

He studied Nolan’s face now, as if it was the first time he’d actually seen it. He locked it into his memory, just in case he needed that knowledge later. Probably not for homicide or torture.

He sat there watching the team practice, but something seemed off. If Liam and Nolan were supposed to be co-captains that’s definitely not what it looked like. Nolan seemed to be the one calling the plays and Liam just followed his lead. He wasn’t sure why that bothered him. He’d deal with that later, though.

He decided if he was going to come out to Liam’s games, he better learn what was happening. So, for the moment he actually appreciated having Mason there. Besides, Mason was Liam’s best friend, even if the two might be having a rough spot, so he needed to get used to being around him. Mason didn’t seem to mind explaining things to him either.

Overall, it didn’t seem like it would be the worst four hours he’d ever spent doing something. Liam seemed to be pretty good at the game, at least if Mason was explaining things correctly. As the first couple hours of the practice came to an end, he saw Corey approach Liam and point up towards him and Mason in the stands.

The team was apparently taking a break for a few minutes and Liam and Corey were coming up the bleachers. Liam was smiling, but he seemed nervous at the same time. As he got closer, he could see the sweat and strain from playing on his body. It definitely suited him.

“Hey?” Liam was out of breath.

He’d come all the way out here to surprise him and that was his reaction? He definitely wasn’t coming out this early ever again. Well, probably not.

“Hey.” He nodded to Liam.

“I thought you had to work?” Liam gave him a puzzled look.

“Actually, I had today off.” Theo shrugged.

“Oh.” The edge of a smile caught the corner of Liam’s mouth.

“Thought maybe I could drive you home.”

“Yeah, definitely.”

Theo realized Mason and Corey were just silently watching them. Mason had a huge grin on his face and Corey was looking at them like they were a pair of puppies. He didn’t know what he should have expected. Just like Liam, the two were a couple of weirdos.

“So, you guys really practice for four hours?”

“Yep.”

“Jeez, ok. Well, when's the next game?”

“Friday night. It’s a home game, so it’ll be right here.” Liam gestured out towards the field and surrounding stands.

“Oh, are you coming?” Mason asked, oddly excited.

“Sure, if I don’t have to work.” Theo shrugged.

He thought he might have heard a squeak from Corey. There was definitely something wrong with Liam’s friends. He reminded himself he was going to have to learn to put up with it.

“Great!” Liam was beaming.

Now that smile made the trip and all the time he’d spent and was apparently about to spend here worth it. They made small talk for a little while before the coach was calling them back to the field with a barrage of shrill whistles. Liam and Corey headed back down to the field and the next couple of hours didn’t feel nearly as long as the first two.

When everything wrapped up, Mason showed him where he normally met up with Liam. Corey came out pretty quick and the two of them offered to wait with him until Liam was ready, but he told them he’d be fine. He got the impression they’d hoped he’d say yes. Definitely weirdos.

Theo waited as it seemed like every single other member of the lacrosse team came through. He was about to just go into the locker room when Liam finally came out. Nolan was right behind him. Something about Nolan just pissed him off.

Liam smiled again, when he saw him waiting. Nolan had caught the glare he’d barely hid before Liam noticed and started to look incredibly nervous. Theo put a smile on for Liam, even though he was still simmering underneath.

“Hey, uh, thanks.” Nolan said to Liam before darting down the hall.

“Took you long enough.”

Theo looked Liam over. He was freshly showered, which was kind of a shame because he’d liked the way he’d smelled when he came up into the bleachers. He couldn’t stop wondering what Liam had been doing and why it had to be with Nolan.

“Coach wanted to talk to us. Sorry.” Liam sort of bumped against him, “So, you came all the way out here to give me a ride home?”

“Well, considering you’re in lockdown until this weekend, I figured it would probably be the only safe way to spend some time with you.”

“So, you really do like being around me.” Liam was grinning.

“That’s what I said.”

Theo didn’t like being doubted, but he did like that grin. He led Liam back to his truck and the two of them climbed in. Liam was still grinning.

Theo checked the clock on the dash, “So, is this normally when practice lets out?”

“Usually.”

“If you want, I could come by after work. You have practice on Wednesday too right?”

“Yeah, and Fridays when we don’t have a game.”

“Is that a yes?” Theo started the truck.

“Definitely.”

Liam was excited and he liked seeing him like that. Theo took the slow way back to his house. The two chatting about lacrosse and the upcoming game along the way. He’d definitely made the right call tonight, even if it was just a few minutes he liked having time with Liam. It made him anticipate the weekend even more, when they could spend that time together without the console separating them. It was going to be a long week, but at least he could look forward to driving him home on Wednesday now. 

When they finally got to his house and pulled into the empty driveway, Liam seemed almost reluctant to leave him. After a couple more minutes of conversation he finally did get out of the truck. He was glad Liam didn’t ask him to stay again, not because he didn’t want to, he did and he would have, but because that meant he wouldn’t be risking getting him in more trouble. The weekend was just a few days away and he’d already started making plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to my beta reader Mrs. Raeken who's been keeping me ahead of the game and helped me not questions myself too much.  
> And shout out to L10NH34RT and Sandy_at who always let me know how the story is going! Thanks for keeping me extra motivated!  
> Finally, shout out to all the people following this story silently and dealing with all the cliffs I dangle you off of. <3


	14. The Mall

Theo was driving Liam home for the third time this week. Thankfully, he was just going to wait in the driveway for his little wolf to pack a bag. He had already made sure Liam texted his parents so they wouldn’t have a repeat of last time.

On Wednesday, when he’d driven him home, they almost got into a fight. Liam had tried to act like not telling him Nolan was his co-captain wasn’t a big deal. He didn’t see how it even mattered to Theo. At least he got Liam to understand that he didn’t like having to rescue him from being abandoned by Nolan all the time. So both of them had still been simmering when he dropped Liam off. They’d continued the talk through text and he’d ended up agreeing to at least tolerate Nolan for now. Though, if Nolan ever did anything to Liam again, all bets were off.

Tonight, he’d gotten the hospital to let him go a little early so he could make it to Liam’s game on time. Mason had been waiting for him and they sat together, which was helpful, because Theo still had some questions about how the game worked. That and he needed someone else to be angry along with him whenever someone checked Liam. The first time he saw it happen, Mason had to stop him from charging down onto the field.

Overall, it wasn’t too bad. He and Mason cheered on Liam and Corey and he got to watch his little wolf score a couple goals. Beacon Hills won the match so Liam was pretty pumped, they were only one more win from making it into the playoffs. He hadn’t told him yet, but when Liam got back in the truck he was planning to offer him a chance to go wherever he wanted for dinner. About halfway through his shift, he’d gotten the alert that the check had finally finished processing, so he really did mean wherever he wanted.

Theo pulled into the empty driveway and Liam hopped out of the truck and bounded into the house still energized by his win. It didn’t take long before Liam came back with a backpack on his shoulder. He was still grinning when he climbed into the seat.

“I am starving, where do you want to go for dinner?” Theo started backing out, “Literally anywhere. I got paid today.”

“Can we go to the diner?”

“You can go anywhere, and you want to go to the diner?” Theo really didn’t understand him sometimes. 

“Yeah,” Liam thought this was the most obvious thing in the world, “It’s our place.”

He hadn’t really thought of it like that, but every time they’d eaten out in the past couple of weeks had been at the diner. They’d even sat in the same booth every time. He felt a lot better about that choice after that.

“Alright, diner it is.”

At the diner they were glad to be greeted by Jane, but Theo was really starting to worry about just how much she was there. Their booth was empty, so they climbed on in and Liam ordered a big breakfast and a brownie with ice cream for dessert. Theo had a steak and while it might not have been the best steak ever, the fact that he could order it without worrying about the cost was enough to make it delicious.

Liam chatted excitedly about the victory tonight and explained the chances they’d go to the playoffs and how likely they were to win the whole season. Theo could mostly follow what he was saying and while it wasn’t the most interesting thing he’d heard, the joy and energy Liam had for it made him more than happy to listen. He’d even made sure to ask some questions so Liam knew he was paying attention.

At the end of the meal he’d taken the check and written two things on it. One he’d given Jane a tip twice as big as the cost of their meal. Two he’d written the message ‘Take a day off’ right beside it. She’d brought the check back to him before punching it in to make sure it was right and he let her know it was exactly what he meant to do.

Now that they’d eaten, they were headed to Melissa’s. Tonight was the last night he was going to have to sleep with a blanket tucked over the mattress. He was going to replace it tomorrow. In fact, he had a whole day of shopping planned for tomorrow and was excited to bring Liam along with him.

It was pretty late by the time they’d made it back to Theo’s room. Both of them were pretty tired, so they got ready for bed together. Theo still hadn’t gotten over how weirdly satisfying it was to see their two toothbrushes side by side in the holder.

When they crawled into bed there were no strange looks or pauses, Liam just curled up right against him. He missed the feeling of holding his little wolf in his arms. He was surprised by the hands that slid up under his shirt.

“Liam, what are you doing?” He chuckled out the words.

Liam’s voice was pouty, “My hands are cold and you’re warm.”

It was a good enough excuse for Theo. He liked feeling Liam’s hands on his skin, even if they were a bit frosty. He gently rubbed Liam’s back until they both fell into a thankfully dreamless sleep.

He woke up in the middle of the night to Liam fighting with his shirt. Apparently, the bunching and wrinkles from him pushing his hands up under it made it uncomfortable for his face. Theo tugged it off before Liam could get too frustrated with it. Liam just curled back up against him, his face pressed against the now bare skin of his chest, soft little breaths tracing across it.

Theo fought sleep for a while to enjoy the extra closeness with Liam. He found himself petting the wavy hair before he couldn’t fight it anymore. It wasn't long before he drifted off again.

* * *

Liam woke up with his face feeling surprisingly warm. As he shifted and nuzzled against Theo's chest, he realized there was no shirt there anymore. He didn’t mind, Theo’s skin was soft.

He didn’t know what it was about Melissa’s house, but he always seemed to sleep better there. He let himself drift back off for a while. The next time he woke up, it was to some gentle shaking from Theo.

“Hey little wolf.” Theo whispered.

“Hi.”

“Morning. I was hoping to get an early start today.”

Liam closed his eyes again and hugged onto Theo, “But it’s the weekend.”

“I know, but I thought you might want to help me pick out some new things for this room.”

Liam hadn’t shaken off his sleep yet and it left him confused, “New things?”

“Yeah, like a new mattress.”

Liam agreed he definitely needed a new mattress. He knew Theo had been living in the room for at least a week, but the bed still smelled faintly of Scott. It would be nice not to have that cutting through every now and then.

“Ok, but can’t we do that later?” Liam wasn’t really tired, but he didn’t want to go yet.

“Is there something you want to do instead?”

Liam really just wanted to lay there for a while longer. This was the first time he’d ever felt Theo’s skin like that and he was enjoying it more than he thought he would. It was so smooth and warm, he just wanted to snuggle against it for at least a few more minutes. He wondered how Theo had ended up shirtless. Did he want to be closer to him too? He knew he should ask, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“No.” Liam was disappointed in his lack of an answer.

“So, let’s get ready then.” Theo patted his back.

Liam still didn’t want to move, “Just a few more minutes?”

“Ok, but only a few.”

Liam savored the extra minutes, enjoying the feeling of laying with Theo. Part of him wanted to take off his own shirt to feel more of their skin touching, but he didn’t know if Theo would be ok with that. He really wanted to know how Theo felt about him and he thought he knew, but he also didn’t want to be wrong. Maybe he’d actually ask him tonight.

“Times up, little wolf. Let’s go.”

Theo sat up, but Liam didn’t let go, so he ended up sitting hugged against him. Theo sighed and while Liam couldn’t see it, he was sure he rolled his eyes too. That little bit of Scott’s scent hit his nose and he finally let go of Theo.

“Alright, I’ll shower first.” Theo ruffled his hair, “Shouldn’t take too long.”

He watched Theo grab some clothes out of his duffle bag and head out of the room. Once he was alone, he forced himself to get up, go through the backpack he’d brought and get out some clothes of his own. He wondered if Theo liked the way he dressed or if he even thought about it at all.

A few minutes later, Theo came back into the room, the smell of soap and shampoo swirling in with him. He was dressed again and Liam realized he wouldn’t be touching his bare chest any time soon. He really needed to talk to Theo.

“Your turn.” Theo gestured back out into the hallway.

Liam grabbed his clothes and headed for the bathroom. He set his clean clothes on the back of the toilet and started the shower, undressing while he waited for it to heat up. He was still waiting when the door opened. It was Theo and he was holding a towel. Liam jumped in the shower so he wasn’t just standing there naked in front of Theo and he was already shivering in the still cold water.

“Sorry.” He could hear Theo wincing.

“Dude, what the hell?” Liam was freaking out.

“I was just bringing you a fresh towel.”

“Well, knock next time!”

“I will. I thought you were already in the shower.”

“Clearly not.”

“Yeah. The towel is on the sink.” The door clicked shut behind Theo as he left.

Theo had seen him naked. Why was he freaked out about that? Everyone on the lacrosse team had seen him naked in the showers and that didn’t bother him, but this did for some reason. Why did he worry so much about what Theo thought of him?

He continued to think about it while he used some of Theo’s soap and shampoo. Once he was clean, he shut off the shower and stepped out onto the bath mat. The towel was sitting on the sink, just as Theo had said. He used it to dry off before hanging it over the shower curtain rod and getting dressed in the change of clothes.

Liam headed back to the room and put his dirty clothes on top of the dresser. Theo was pretty much rushing them out of the house. Liam barely had a chance to say bye to Melissa.

"First stop, we take care of the mattress and bring it back."

"Ok, what's the second stop?" Liam was still confused about this whole shopping day thing.

"Clothes." Theo had that air of determination again.

"Are there more stops?"

"Yep."

"Are you going to tell me what they are?"

"Nope."

Liam rolled his eyes. He didn't know what was up with all this shopping. Shouldn't Theo already own some stuff?

Regardless, it was only a few minutes to the mattress store. It felt like they were their only customers. He wondered how they could stay in business like that.

Theo started at the cheaper models. Pressing down and leaning on them to get a feel for what they might be like at home. After passing over the cheapest ones for being too noisy the clerk finally came up to them. They seemed hesitant, unsure if Theo was an actual customer.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" The clerk was tall and thin but otherwise pretty average looking and maybe in his early thirties.

"Just looking for a new mattress." Theo grunted as he pressed down, testing another one.

"Well, what are you looking for?"

"Something soft and quiet."

"Price range?" The clerk looked at the signs on the cheap models around them.

"If it's worth it, I'll buy it." Theo sounded like he was daring the guy.

“Well, we have one over here that has a pillowtop and separately wrapped coils so it’s almost silent.”

Theo looked over to Liam as if he was asking what he should do. Liam just shrugged, he didn’t really know anything about mattresses, but the one’s Theo had checked so far didn’t seem too comfortable. Theo’s eyebrows did a quick raise of acknowledgement and he turned back to the salesman.

“Sure, why not.” Theo shrugged.

When they walked over to it, Liam thought it was pretty expensive. He imagined spending the money on a whole entertainment setup, but if it’s what Theo wanted he wasn’t going to say anything. The bed did look soft though.

“Go ahead, try ‘er out.” The salesman offered.

Theo pressed down with both hands and it didn’t make a sound. He actually seemed impressed with it. Maybe it really was worth all of that.

“Well, try it out.” Theo gestured to Liam.

“Oh, ok.”

Liam’s version of testing was a lot different than Theo’s, after all you sleep in a bed you don’t lean on it. He tossed himself onto it, barely bouncing, and he practically melted into it. It was insanely comfortable. Liam didn’t even realize he was grinning as he nestled in.

“Well, your boyfriend seems to like it.” The clerk said

Liam looked up at them. Did he hear that right? Did this random guy just call him Theo’s boyfriend? He noticed Theo look at him lying on the bed for a moment, he wasn’t sure what his expression meant.

Theo turned back to the clerk, “We’re just friends.”

“My apologies,” the clerk gave him a single nod, “but, it does look like he approves.”

Liam’s grin was gone. Was that really what Theo thought? Were they just friends?

“Yeah, you’re right about that. Can we knock this price down some though?”

“I can definitely do that, if you can forgive me for my assumption.”

Theo nodded, “Sounds good.”

Theo walked towards the counter with the clerk, but Liam stayed on the mattress. He definitely didn’t like Theo correcting the guy. What was that look he gave him though, he really couldn’t tell what it meant and it was frustrating him to no end.

He watched as the salesman wheeled out a mattress from the back. He and Theo went outside and he could see the clerk tying it down to the truck. He knew he’d have to get up soon, but he didn’t really feel like going anywhere. What the hell did that look mean?

Once the mattress was all tied down Theo walked up to the glass and stared at him. When he didn’t move, Theo waved for him to come outside. He got up and headed for the truck, but he was still stuck in his own head. Theo had already started the engine and was waiting in the driver’s seat by the time he made it outside.

Theo looked at him as he pulled out of the parking space, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Liam didn’t know how he was supposed to ask about that without asking how Theo felt about him and he still wasn’t ready for that question.

“Are you sure?”

Liam shrugged, “Yeah.”

Theo didn’t look like he believed him, but went ahead and drove them back to Melissa’s. When they got there they carried the mattress inside. If it wasn’t so floppy, either one of them probably could have done it on their own. When they were dragging the old mattress back down, Melissa was apparently back from a grocery trip and putting things away in the kitchen.

She looked around the corner at them, “Uh, what’s this about?”

“We’re getting rid of the old one.” Liam answered.

“Why are you getting rid of a perfectly good mattress?” She raised an eyebrow.

Theo sighed, “Look, there’s no good way to say this, but your son stinks.”

Melissa walked over and sniffed at the mattress, “Smells fine to me.”

“Yeah, to you. Werewolf senses, remember?” Theo tapped his nose.

“What are you going to do with it then?”

“Burn it.” Liam could swear he saw a slight gleam in Theo’s eyes.

“The hell you are! Put it on the back porch.” She gestured that way.

“Fine.”

They set it out on the screened in porch. Liam would be lying if he didn’t want to see what a flaming mattress looked like, but Melissa was probably going to donate it to someone who would actually use it. Regardless, they’d gotten the soaked-in smell of Scott out of Theo’s room and with the new mattress that was two reasons he’d sleep better tonight.

“Alright, ready for the second part of today?” Theo stretched his neck.

“Clothes right?”

“Yep.”

* * *

Nolan was actually kind of excited. At the end of the game last night Corey had asked if he wanted to come hang out with him and Mason today. Since Monday, both of them had eaten lunch with him. The first couple of days had been pretty quiet as they mostly tried to make small talk. When Mason finally brought up video games they’d actually had a real conversation and it had gotten a lot easier to talk the next couple of days.

They had suggested the mall and he went along with it. So now he was headed for the food court. The mall was pretty busy this weekend, so he had to weave through the crowd on the way there. He saw Corey and Mason sitting at one of the tables and made his way through the busy courtyard over to them.

“Hey guys.” Nolan grabbed a chair and sat down with them.

“Hey,” Corey smiled, “glad you made it.”

“Thanks, so do you guys have a plan... or?” Nolan liked having a plan.

“Not usually, but we could figure it out if you want.”

“All I know is I want to see a movie today.” Mason elbowed Corey.

“Anything you wanna see?” Corey looked to Nolan.

“Oh, uh, if there’s a comedy, we could watch that?”

Mason grinned, “Works for me.”

“You guys mind if I grab a drink real quick?”

“Yeah, no problem. We’ll be right here.”

Nolan had seen a boba tea stall at the edge of the food court and he really wanted one. He ordered a watermelon slush with extra boba. When he got the cup, he lined up his straw with the outside edge and punched it through. He’d found this was the best place to put the straw through to be able to get all the boba without a lot of trouble.

He made his way back to the table and took his seat again. Corey looked at his drink kind of weird, like he was trying to figure out what it was. Mason had been swiping through his phone, but put it away when Nolan sat down.

“What are those?” Corey pointed at the little brownish pearls in Nolan’s clear plastic cup.

“Boba.” Nolan realized Corey wasn’t any less confused when he said that, “They’re kind of chewy and taste sort of like honey.”

“Oh, ok, weird.” 

Mason laid out a plan of attack, “So, we could hit up the game store and maybe look for some CDs at the place next door. The next showing for that Ryan Reynolds movie is kind of soon, so we could head to the theatre after that.”

“Works for me.” Nolan felt a little better.

“Alright, I’m ready if you guys are.” Corey stood up and pushed in his chair. 

The game store was ok, but kind of cramped for space. They poked at some of the collectibles and the rack of shirts before ending up looking at the used games in the back. Mason was crouched down pulling out different fighting games and asking if Nolan had played them.

“What about this one?” Mason showed him the cover.

“Yep.” Nolan confirmed

“And this one?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok, what about this one?” Mason had grabbed one of the more obscure games on the shelves.

Nolan nodded, “Uh huh.”

“Wow, you really do like fighters, huh?”

“I guess.” Nolan shrugged, not sure if he should be embarrassed.

“I mean, Liam said you were really good at them.”

Liam had talked about him? That kind of blindsided him. He was still trying to get over Liam, so that little piece of information hit him kind of weird and he felt a pang of sadness. It was hard to go back to just being friends when he thought they could be more, when he thought they were more. He was trying though.

“Uh, oh, he did?” Nolan’s voice sounded more melancholy than he wanted it to.

“Yeah, he said you were like tournament good.” Mason continued.

He had, hadn’t he. The mental image of Liam cheering him on at a tournament popped into his mind again. One that had started to end with a victory kiss when he’d agreed to go on the date. That definitely wasn’t going to happen now.

“Hey, so, when does that movie start?” Corey asked as he pulled out his phone.

“Twelve fifteen, why?” Mason stood back up.

“If we want to get popcorn and stuff we should probably go ahead and start heading over.”

“Ok.”

Nolan was thankful for the change in topic and scenery as they made their way out of the gaming store. Along the way he thought he saw Liam with the guy that’d been giving him rides after practice. Nolan tried to get a better look, but they were quickly swallowed up by the crowd and he had to catch up with Mason and Corey. He followed the pair up the escalator to the theatre, where it didn’t take long to buy their tickets and grab some drinks and popcorn.

They made their way to the seats they’d picked when they bought their deluxe tickets. Mason and Corey shared a set of seats that went together and Nolan sat beside Corey in half of a set. The previews hadn’t quite started yet, so the screen just went through some different ads and mini-quiz games.

Nolan situated his soda in the cup holder, “Hey, uh, I’ve been wondering, who’s that guy that’s been picking Liam up after practice?”

Corey seemed a little nervous about answering, “That’s Theo.”

“Who’s that?”

“It’s kinda complicated.”

“What, how?”

He could see Corey thinking about how to answer that, “They... have a lot of history.”

“And a lot of something else.” Mason chuckled.

“Huh?” Nolan was trying to figure out what that could mean.

He saw Corey elbow Mason again who responded with a ‘what did I do?’ look. He also saw the slight nod in his direction in response and a face on Mason that said he’d realized he’d messed up somehow. Nolan finally put the pieces together. 

Liam wasn’t into him. He was into Theo. He understood the look of excitement on Liam’s face when he saw Theo around because that was exactly how he felt about Liam. From Mason’s comment it sounded like Liam hadn’t been rejected though.

Nolan sank into the recliner seat and laid it back. He was a lot less excited about the movie now. He had a hard time thinking about anything but how he’d seen Liam tugging Theo along by the forearm. He knew that couldn’t be his arm anymore, but he kept imagining it was him being tugged instead. Mason and Corey cuddling beside him didn’t help any, either. He hoped the movie could distract him.

* * *

Theo was looking through the clothes in the department store with hesitation. The price tags were larger than he thought they’d be and while he could afford to buy them, he just didn’t feel comfortable spending that much. Liam was staying close, but didn’t seem all that interested in the shopping.

“Have I bored you to death yet?” He raised an eyebrow at Liam.

“I thought this would be more interesting.”

“Don’t like how anything looks?”

“It’s not that, I just thought you’d actually be trying stuff on.” Liam shrugged.

“Does the little wolf want me to model for him?” Theo teased.

“Would you?”

Actually, yeah, he would. If Liam thought that would be more fun, he was willing to give it a shot, but he wasn’t paying these prices. He dragged Liam to the clearance section and started leafing through it, handing anything interesting to him to hold. After the pile was pretty decent they found the dressing rooms and Liam sat in a row of chairs near some mirrors while Theo tried on an outfit.

He came out of the dressing room and jokingly strutted a little for Liam, turning and posing how he thought a model might. Liam chuckled and gestured for him to do a full once around. He spun slowly and stopped when he faced Liam’s smile again.

“So, should I keep these?” Theo asked.

“I like it. Looks more like work clothes though.”

“That’s the idea.”

“Oh, ok. You’re not getting anything for you?”

He really hadn’t thought about getting clothes except to look more professional at work. He could afford to pick up some more, but he didn’t even really know where to begin with that. Maybe he could use that to get Liam more involved.

“Where would you go to buy some clothes?”

Liam thought about it for a moment, “For me, there’s a couple smaller places inside the mall.”

“Ok, what if I said you could pick out some clothes for me?”

Liam’s eyes lit up and Theo was both happy and concerned. He felt like he’d just gotten himself into something he shouldn’t have when he could see what he was sure was a bit of deviousness mixed in with the excitement. If it made Liam that happy it couldn’t be all bad, right?

Liam was practically bouncing with excitement, “Are you sure?”

He wasn’t now, “Yeah.”

“I know exactly where I want to take you.” Liam’s grin was definitely devious.

“Ok, let me pay for this stuff first.”

As he was checking out at the department store he kept wondering what he was getting into. When Liam grabbed him by the arm and started dragging him through the mall, he didn’t care anymore. He really loved when he did that.

“Here.” Liam stopped them in front of a store that resembled a dark castle.

Inside the ornate doors he could see a lot of stuff that had pop culture references on it, but he could also see a lot of stuff that was just kind of different. It looked like there was some music related stuff and even a couple stands of body jewelry. He started to care again.

“Here?” Theo raised an eyebrow.

“Yep, come on.”

Liam grabbed him by the arm again and led him through the narrow aisles. He snatched a few things off the racks as they headed towards the changing rooms in the back. It all looked pretty dark.

Theo went into the changing room with the bundle and started putting it on. Liam was definitely messing with him. A fishnet shirt, a lounge-style short-sleeve button down, some skinny jeans. And a studded belt. He’d said he’d do it, so he put it all on.

When he walked back out, Liam smiled again, but he didn’t laugh like Theo expected he would.

He gestured for him to turn around and he did. After a moment Liam squinted at him and walked up to him before unbuttoning the lounge shirt so it hung open. The cool air in the gaps of the fishnet shirt felt strange.

“There we go.” Liam was way too happy with himself.

“Happy?”

“Definitely.”

“Alright then.” Theo turned to go take it all off.

“Wait. One more thing.” Liam stopped him.

“What is--”

The click of the camera on Liam’s phone cut him off. Liam grinned at the screen while Theo sighed. A clerk with streaks of blue hair and more than a couple piercings came up behind him and looked at it.

“Your boyfriend looks pretty good.” She smiled.

“Oh, uh, we’re just friends.” Liam looked away from them.

Damnit, why did Liam look so sad when he said that? The clerk at the mattress store had made that assumption too and when Liam didn’t say anything he’d had to go with the last thing his little wolf had been comfortable with. He really wished he would tell him if he wanted more.

This wasn’t a situation where Theo could make the first move. He wouldn’t be able to handle it if he did something to scare Liam off, especially now that they’d started to get closer. He was just going to have to wait for Liam to decide what he wanted and could only hope it would be sooner rather than later.

The clerk tried to apologize, “Sorry, I just thought--”

Liam cut her off, “It’s ok.” Liam didn’t sound like it was ok, “He does look pretty good though, right?”

Liam grinned as he gave her a better look at the photo. The clerk looked between him and the picture and chuckled. Theo couldn’t tell if she was laughing with Liam or at him. Either way, he was changing out of these clothes.

When he came back out of the dressing room in his regular clothes he started to put the bundle of clothes he’d just been wearing into a return bin. Liam stopped him and took the pile of clothes with a frustrated look. Theo scrunched his brow in confusion.

“You said you’d let me pick out some clothes for you.” Liam stared him in the eye.

“I didn’t realize you were serious about these. I thought with the picture--”

“I picked them out, you said you’d get them.”

“Ok, ok. I get it, but this is just one outfit.”

“I guess we’ll just have to go to another store.” That mischievous grin was back.

Theo took up the clothes and paid for them. He made Liam carry the bag since the outfit was his idea. As soon as they were out front of the store again Liam was dragging him along to somewhere else.

This time, the place was a bit more casual. Liam pulled him around the store, picking out a few more outfits. Theo noticed that Liam seemed to like pink shirts as at least half of what he’d grabbed were mostly pink. He tried on a few of the outfits and Liam seemed to like them, but he actually liked them too. He wasn’t sure if it was because they just looked good or if it was because of who’d selected them, but either way, he left the cashier with a pretty good amount of things for him to wear.

“Alright, ready for the next stop?” Theo asked as he joined back up with Liam

“Uh, yeah...” Liam was distracted as he looked at his phone.

“Hey, you ok?”

Something was definitely troubling Liam, “No.”   
“What’s wrong? I know it’s not your parents, I watched you send that text.”

“It’s Scott, he’s called an all pack meeting.”

“What does that mean?”

“He said everyone needs to meet at his mom’s, um,” Liam corrected himself, “Melissa’s house tonight.”

“Great, why do you look so worried though?”

“He said everyone...” Liam stared at the message on his phone again.

Theo didn’t see why that would be an issue until he started running through the members in his head. Most of them could be challenging or stubborn, but he didn’t see why Liam was so troubled. When he got to Scott’s last addition, he realized the problem. Hayden was going to be there.


	15. Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in honor of this thing getting 2k hits, I decided to release a chapter earlier than normal. <3  
> Thanks for all the love and support!

Liam sulked as they headed back to Theo’s truck. Why did Scott have to call a pack meeting tonight? He was actually having a lot of fun with Theo today. Then finding out he was calling in everyone just made it all worse. Scott hadn’t done that before, so he knew it was important but he didn’t want to see everyone. Not when that everyone included Hayden.

“Is it really that bad?” Theo was leading the way.

Liam sighed, “I don’t know. We never really talked about anything. She just... disappeared.”

“Do you miss her?”

“No.” Liam’s answer came fast, “I just didn’t think I’d ever see her again.”

“Then don’t worry about it. She’s the one who messed up anyway.” Theo sounded relieved.

He was sure he didn’t miss her, but the fact that they didn’t have any closure either still bothered him. That and she was bound to be unhappy with having to come out since she had been trying to get away from everything. He was starting to be less sad and more mad.

He’d done everything for her. He fought the Dread Doctors to protect her. He almost killed Scott because he wouldn’t save her life. He’d even fought against the ghostriders to free her. Then she just left like none of it meant anything. Like he didn’t mean anything.

He wondered for a while if there was something wrong with him. If maybe he’d done something to make her want to leave. But he couldn’t think of anything and even Mason and Corey were clueless. After fighting so hard against the ghostriders, she just suddenly wanted out? It didn’t make sense.

How could she do that to him? To all of them? His sulking gave way to simmering. He definitely wasn’t sad about seeing her.

“Jesus, Liam! Ow!” Theo stopped and turned towards him.

He’d pretty much forgotten he’d grabbed onto Theo’s arm again. It was starting to be natural for him, like a reflex. When he’d gotten angry he must have started squeezing.

“Sorry.” Liam frowned and looked down.

“I hope Scott realizes I’m going to be there.” Theo said as he opened the door back out to the parking lot.

“I don’t think so, it’s a pack meeting.” Liam sounded worried.

“Yeah, I heard that part, but someone’s gonna have to keep you from flipping out.” Theo looked at where the bruise under Liam’s hand on his arm was already healing.

“I’ll be ok.” Probably.

“It’s happening in my home. I’m going to be there.”

“Ok.”

It’s not like Liam didn’t want him there. He’d hoped Theo could be part of the pack for a while now, but Scott still had his reservations. Which definitely wasn’t fair. Stiles had fought against him before. Hell, Stiles had killed someone in his pack. Sure, he was being controlled by the Nogitsune, but how was that any different from Theo being controlled by the Dread Doctors?

He looked up to see Theo opening the rear door of the truck and putting the bags in the back seat before opening the passenger door. He reluctantly let go of the arm he’d been clinging to and climbed in. Theo hopped into the driver’s seat and started getting them away from the mall.

“Alright, well, I was planning on more, but one more stop before we head back.” Theo explained as they turned back onto the main road.

“Do I get to know where we’re going?”

“Nah.”

Liam was fine with that. He wasn’t ready to head back to Melissa’s. For all he knew Scott would already be there and he just wasn’t ready to deal with that. He’d hoped for a nice relaxing weekend, but he clearly wasn’t getting one.

Liam pulled his phone out and stared at the message from Scott for a couple minutes. He tried to think about what could be so important, but nothing really came to mind. He closed the message and switched to his camera, lining up a photo of Theo driving. He snapped it and looked at the result. Theo was actually smiling. He scrolled back to the photo he’d taken earlier where Theo had been upset a photo was even happening. It gave him a nice brooding look in the goth outfit he’d assembled, but he definitely preferred the smile.

“We’re here.” Theo said, pulling Liam’s attention back up from his phone.

He looked out the window to see the biggest electronics store in town. He understood why they were here. They’d only ever had their phones to watch stuff on, so it made sense he might want to get a TV for his room, but he still wondered why Theo didn’t have any of this stuff already. Theo grabbed a cart at the entrance. Over the next hour, he wheeled the cart around from section to section, asking Liam to take the lead in picking things out. He felt weird grabbing things that were so expensive when he wasn’t the one paying for them, but Theo seemed ok with the choices he was making. As they pulled towards the checkout he surveyed the contents of the cart. He’d grabbed a big screen TV, a soundbar, and at Theo’s suggestion a new game console, an extra controller, and a couple of the games they’d played together last weekend.

When he thought about everything Theo’d bought today, it all added up to a surprisingly large amount of money. If Theo was this rich, he really couldn’t understand why they’d ever slept in his truck. He could have at least gotten a motel room.

They loaded up the new purchases into the back seat of the truck and started back towards Melissa’s. Theo didn’t let him change the station himself, but he did ask what he wanted to listen to, which was itself a nice change. Liam was sad their shopping trip was over. He hadn’t wanted to leave this morning, but now he didn’t want to go back.

* * *

Theo pulled into the driveway. He still didn’t know what to expect tonight, but whatever Liam had been thinking about earlier had caused him to almost break his arm. Throwing Hayden into the mix still worried him. Even though Liam said he didn’t miss her, she was his first. There was always the chance there was still something there even if he didn’t realize it.

They started bringing stuff into the house and he was relieved no one was there yet. They hauled everything up to his room and started setting it up. He’d left the door open before they went to the mall and the lingering smell of Scott had finally aired out. It was officially his space. It was paid for, filled with his things, and it smelled like him now too. Well, Liam’s scent was in there too, but he definitely didn’t mind that.

While Liam set up the TV and game system, he actually put his clothes away in the closet and dresser. He left the top right drawer as the snack drawer, sneaking another gummy shark while Liam was distracted. After that, he grabbed some sheets from the hall closet that Melissa said he could use and made his new bed. Liam was still busy downloading the updates for all the games they’d bought so he went downstairs and started washing his blankets, which was long overdue. As he came back up Melissa caught him in the hallway.

“I’m sure you heard Scott’s coming by again.” She was clearly being cautious of his reaction.

“Yeah, Liam told me.”

“Scott said you should be there.”

“Really?” Theo arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah. How’d all the shopping go?”

“Pretty good, actually.”

“Good. I’m glad.”

Melissa looked at his face like she’d find something extra to add to his answer there. Whether she did or not, he didn’t know. She shrugged before continuing down the hall. He didn’t know what that little exchange was about, but Melissa always seemed to know more about what was going on than he expected.

When he got back in the room he threw himself onto the bed. Liam really had done a great job picking out a new mattress. He scooted to sit up at the head of the bed and watched as Liam was going through what looked like a list of movies and shows on the screen.

“What’s that?” He nodded to the screen.

“Oh, I set up my streaming account. Should make it a lot easier to watch stuff.”

“Wanna come show me how that works?”

“Sure.”

Liam crawled up onto the bed and scooted in next to him. Theo was glad that even without sharing the small phone screen Liam still wanted to be close. He showed him what buttons did what on the controller and the remote and how he could turn on different features like subtitles or different languages.

“Did you want to watch something? Or play something?” Theo asked.

“Is a movie ok?”

“Yeah, go ahead and pick one.”

Liam scrolled through the list for a couple more minutes before putting on an action movie. Once it started up, Liam set the controller and remote on the bedside table and leaned against him. He wrapped his arm around him and they settled in for a while.

With Liam here, his room was complete as far as he was concerned. He really hoped that Scott wasn’t about to change that for him, but whatever was happening at least Scott wanted him involved. Not that even a true alpha could stop him from making sure Liam was safe.

“Hey, Theo?”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you need all this stuff today?” 

“What do you mean?” Theo was starting to feel a bit apprehensive of where this conversation was headed.

“I mean, didn’t you already have some stuff?”

Shit, it was time for that talk. He knew it was coming eventually. At least he’d gotten himself out of that situation first. He probably wouldn’t be able to handle it at all if they were having it while he was still living out of his truck.

“No, Liam, I didn’t. Just the stuff that was in my truck.”

“Really? That’s it?”

Liam shifted to look up at him, concern clear on his face. He could already see the wheels turning in his head as he pieced it together. He knew the conversation was going to get more rough before it was over.

“Yeah, that’s it.” Theo looked over at the duffle bag that sat on the dresser.

“So, when you were sleeping in your truck that day...?” Liam frowned, “How long?”

“A while.”

Liam’s voice added an edge of determination, “How long, Theo?”

“Since you brought me back.” Theo admitted.

He couldn’t look Liam in the eyes, there were emotions there he didn’t want to see. He was trying to keep himself composed and if he saw those eyes, he knew there was no way that was going to happen. He just kept staring at the duffle bag.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Liam was starting to sound mad.

“Because there were bigger problems, Liam.”

“So, what?!” Liam shouted, “I still could have helped!”

“It wasn’t your problem to solve, ok?”

Theo was suddenly falling off the bed. Liam had shoved him. Hard. He hit the floor and looked up to see Liam’s eyes filled with everything he hadn’t wanted to see there. Anger, sadness, frustration, all of it because of him. He fucking hated it.

“Why couldn’t you just let me help you?!”

“Because you helped me enough!” Theo snapped back.

“What?” Liam’s voice softened with confusion.

“You pulled me out of hell, Liam.” Theo closed his eyes, “You were the only one that believed in me, even when I didn’t deserve it. Especially when I didn’t deserve it.” He felt the tears start welling up in the corners of his eyes, “How am I supposed to ask for more after that?”

Theo hated feeling so vulnerable. He’d tried so hard for so long to just tuck all of this away, to not have to deal with it. He couldn’t look at Liam. He wanted to, but he couldn’t. He knew he was a disappointment and he didn’t want to see that look on Liam’s face. So he just lay there and kept his eyes closed.

* * *

Liam sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at Theo. He wanted to punch him, he wanted to be mad, to scream, yell, and shout. He knew why he’d found Theo sleeping in his truck now. He knew why they’d just parked somewhere at the start of the supermoon. Theo didn’t have anywhere to go.

He thought back on that first night, how Theo had bargained for a meal with him. How he’d made sure to save part of it. And the extra sandwiches. It all made sense now.

How had he not seen it? Because he hadn’t wanted to see it. He wanted Theo to be ok, so all the signs that he wasn’t had just slipped by him. The way he tried to save his food. The fact that his truck smelled like him more than any other car he’d ever been in. The fact that they’d slept in his truck together. Twice. He wanted to be mad at Theo, but instead he was getting mad at himself.

Theo shouldn’t have had to ask him for help. He should have just seen he needed it and been there for him, but he was too wrapped up in his own feelings. He didn’t want to fail him again now.

He slid down onto the floor next to Theo. He didn’t know what to say. He’d never seen Theo cry before and it just felt wrong. He reached out and grabbed a hold of Theo’s forearm. It made him feel better, he just hoped it did the same for Theo.

After a few moments, Theo used the arm to pull him down beside him. He lay there with his back against Theo’s chest and the arm he was still holding wrapped around him. He knew neither of them were ready to talk yet, so he let his head rest in the crook of Theo’s shoulder, staring at the space under the bed.

Fighting and explosions from the movie were the only sounds in the room outside of their heart beats. Liam closed his eyes and focused on Theo’s, right behind his head. He tried to turn around and Theo clutched him tighter, holding him in place.

They laid there like that even after the credits rolled on the movie and ads for other films and shows played. Theo’s tears had stopped a while ago, the salty smell in the air was gone. When he moved this time, Theo didn’t stop him, so he shifted around and let his head rest on his chest, right by his heart.

“Theo?” Liam tested if he was ready to talk.

“Yeah” Theo croaked.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.”

Those two words again. Every time he’d tried to say he was sorry lately, Theo always said them. He’d thought it was just Theo being tough and telling him to be tough too, but that didn’t feel quite right anymore.

“Ok.”

Theo held onto him for a while longer. He was willing to stay there as long as he wanted him to, but the sound of a car pulling up to the house let them know that wasn’t an option. He’d completely forgotten about the pack meeting.

Theo finally started to get up, so he sat up with him. They’d been laying there long enough that the redness around Theo’s eyes had faded. He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t sound awkward. 

Theo stood up, “I’ll be right back.”

He watched Theo leave the room, before getting back up onto the bed. He could hear the front door open and Melissa letting Scott and Malia in, but he heard another voice he hadn’t heard before. Theo came back after a couple minutes, it looked like he’d washed his face.

“You ready to go down?” Liam asked.

Theo took a deep breath and Liam could see him recompose himself, “Yeah.”

Liam led the way downstairs with Theo right behind him. When they stepped into the living room he saw the owner of the unknown voice from earlier. He looked like he was around his age with short and curly hair. As soon as Scott saw him he smiled, came over and gave him a hug. Malia stayed in her seat, staring daggers over his shoulder at Theo.

“Hey,” Scott was still smiling, “You doing alright?”

“Yeah, I’m ok.” Liam nodded.

“Good.” Scott looked over to Theo, “Thanks for coming tonight.”

Theo shrugged, “I was kind of already here.”

“Then thanks for joining us.”

“No Problem.”

“So, everyone should be able to make it, but it’s probably going to be another hour or two before everyone gets here.”

Liam had to make sure, “Did you really call on everyone?”

“Everyone.” Scott confirmed, “Sorry, Liam. She’s my Beta too. She needs to know what’s going on.”

“Ok.”

“Oh! Liam. Theo. This is Alec.” Scott gestured to the stranger, “He’s a werewolf and he’s part of the pack. Alec, this is Liam, he’s my Beta and Theo, he’s a chimera. He’s kind of part werewolf and part werecoyote.”

“Uh, hi.” Alec nervously waved.

“We saved him from some of Monroe’s hunters.”

“And already a member of the pack, wow.” Theo’s cockiness had returned.

Liam looked back at Theo trying to give him a look that asked him to ‘be good’. Theo shrugged and rolled his eyes. He really hoped that meant that he’d try.

They all sat in the living room, Melissa had moved other chairs and stools into the room in anticipation. It would still be a while before the rest of the pack arrived.

* * *

Theo mostly just stayed quiet as the members of Scott’s pack filtered in. Lydia had arrived next, followed by Mason and Corey. Hayden had arrived basically on time. Stiles was just a little late and Derek arrived even later. The eleven of them crowded the living room. Everyone had looked at him weird for being there, but none as harshly as Malia and Hayden.

Scott had introduced each of them to Alec as they arrived, but Mason and Corey had been chatting with the new werewolf for the most part. Lydia kept looking at him and Liam with that same look Melissa used to give them. Hayden had made it a point not to acknowledge him or Liam and just looked pissed off to even be there. Stiles was apprehensive about Theo being there at first, but with a little prodding from Scott had calmed down about it. Derek had just nodded to him, like he hadn’t paid him an exorbitant amount of money recently. That was the McCall pack though, a bunch of eccentric weirdos.

Scott stood up in the middle of everyone, “Alright, I know we haven’t really ever done this. A real pack meeting, but there’s some new info with Monroe’s hunters. Ethan and Jackson said they’ve seen her in London.”

“Ok, so why call us all here?” Hayden sneered.

“Because they’ve also found out her hunters have a list of supernaturals and their whereabouts. And everyone in this room is on it.”

Theo didn’t like this. He’d dealt with Monroe’s hunters before, granted they were amped up by the anuke-ite, but they still had access to resources that made them extra dangerous. Of course this would happen just when things were starting to look up.

Stiles scoffed, “I’m not a supernatural.”

“Yeah, but you were possessed by one for a while.” Derek said from his spot leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

“I guess that explains why I’m on the list...” Mason looked nervous.

“So, what are we supposed to do?” Liam asked.

Scott looked around the room, “Malia, Lydia, Stiles, Derek and I are going to meet up with Peter and Chris in London to try to track her down. Liam, I need you to take point here in Beacon Hills and I want Mason, Corey, Alec, Hayden, and Theo to back you up.”

“Are you serious?” Hayden snapped.

“Hayden, you’re on their list. They know where you live. It’s safer with your pack.”

“And you’re including Theo? He’s not a part of this pack.”

This bitch. Theo couldn’t help but snarl, but he held back. For now. He really did want to tear Hayden a new one, but he knew Liam wouldn’t want him to.

Liam jumped to his feet, “At least he wants to be here.”

Or not. Theo smiled as his little wolf literally jumped to his defense. This was definitely worth being in the room for. The look of shock on Hayden’s face was priceless. If he thought he could have gotten away with it he would have taken a picture.

“Good for him.” She crossed her arms.

“Why don’t you just leave like you did last time! It’s pretty clear you don’t want to stick around!”

“Liam...” Scott was looking between his Betas.

“You wouldn’t even be alive if it wasn’t for him!”

Hayden sneered at Liam, “Oh, I’m supposed to be grateful to the guy who killed our alpha? Really? That’s who you’re defending right now?”

“Hayden...” Scott moved to stand between them.

Theo looked around the room. Everyone else seemed stunned into silence. Most of them with an expression on their face that made it clear they had no plan to step in and stop what was happening. Theo realized he probably looked like he was antagonizing her with his smile, but he was just too proud of Liam not to.

“Yeah, the guy who stuck around to fight Monroe’s hunters instead of running away with his sister to hide! At least I know he’ll be there when I wake up!”

Hayden’s eyes went wide as did a few others sets of eyes around the room. Theo wondered if Liam realized what he’d just said. No, there was no way he did, but he was definitely going to realize it soon.

Hayden stood up now, “Great job, Liam. Manipulated by Theo again. Congratulations. Are you two boyfriends now?”

Scott roared, “Stop!” 

Scott’s eyes gleamed red as he backed his word with the power that came with being an alpha. Hayden and Liam both fell back into their seats, but continued to glare at each other. Scott looked more disappointed than angry.

“This is exactly the kind of thing that gives hunters an advantage. We can’t be in-fighting like this. We need to work together.”

“Yeah, well, count me out.” Hayden grabbed her purse and pulled it over her shoulder.

“Hayden, it’s not safe to be alone.”

“Val and I will just move. Again. Don’t call me.” She stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

“Great.” Scott was clearly frustrated.

“She was never going to stay.” Derek muttered.

“I had to try.” Scott dropped back into the empty spot next to Malia.

“There are a couple other packs out near her. I’ll give them a heads up.”

Scott sighed, “Thanks.” He looked back around at Liam, Theo, Mason, Corey, and Alec, “Can I count on you all to work together?”

They all nodded and mumbled agreement. Theo noticed Stiles was staring at him and Liam. He had his detective face on, studying the two of them. He was clearly trying to figure something out and it was making Theo nervous.

Stiles squinted at them, “Wait... are you two boyfrie--?”

“Stiles!” Lydia gave Stiles a look that clearly meant he should stop.

Stiles sighed and rolled his eyes. Theo was thankful for Lydia in that moment. This was definitely not the place or the company for that to come up and Liam’s nervous looks back to him just confirmed it. Theo put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

Scott came over to talk to Liam, “Hey, I want you to know I’m not mad. Unfortunately, I thought that might happen. Just make sure you’re talking to your pack here, ok?”

Liam nodded, “I will. I promise.”

Scott looked Theo in the eyes for a moment, like he was asking for him to make sure of that. Theo nodded back, he’d at least try. It felt weird having Scott trust him, but the alpha always seemed to when it came to Liam.

After that, everyone who was going to London left for the local motel where apparently Derek had booked them rooms for the night. Mason and Corey took Alec home shortly after that, leaving Theo alone with Liam again. Melissa had been in bed since before the pack meeting had even started, so the house was quiet.

Theo was ready to spend more time in his room, especially now that it finally felt like his. He headed back upstairs and Liam followed him, hands on his forearm. When they got up to the room he could tell Liam wanted to talk about something, but he wasn’t going to rush him.

* * *

Liam had almost forgotten that he told himself he would ask Theo tonight. That he’d finally ask how Theo felt about him. Until his shouting match with Hayden. He hadn’t realized what he’d said at first and it took him longer than he’d like to admit. It wasn’t until Stiles looked at them with that stupid squint and tried to ask them that it sunk in. He was thankful for Lydia.

It felt weird to admit, but he liked waking up next to Theo. Knowing he was there at the start of the day made everything feel ok. Especially when he woke up snuggled against him. He just kept wondering if Theo felt the same way.

But that wondering always left some doubt. He thought their talk, the one they had before the pack started arriving, would have made things easier, but it didn’t. Now the possibility that Theo was only doing all of this because Liam had brought him back from hell haunted him.

After everything that night he was tired. The tension of the whole pack being around, the fight with Hayden, and the stress of hunters coming to their doorstep had drained his energy. He just wanted to curl up with Theo again. 

They started getting ready for bed. He watched as Theo brushed his teeth, the muscles in his arm tensing and relaxing. The same muscles that had wrapped around him last night and that he hoped would hold him again tonight.

As Liam brushed his own teeth he told himself he could wait another day. Asking in the morning made more sense. He was too tired for that talk tonight. It was an excuse, but he let himself believe it.

Back in the room, Theo sat on the edge of the bed and he looked at Liam with concern. He pat the spot on the bed next to him and Liam sat there. His eyes were already struggling to stay open.

“Shirts or no shirts tonight?” Theo asked.

Liam was confused. Where was this coming from? He remembered waking up to a shirtless Theo this morning, but why was he asking about it?

When he didn’t answer Theo explained, “You practically tore my shirt off last night. If you don’t want me to wear one that’s ok.”

But he could swear he said shirts, plural, “Do you want me to take mine off?”

“Only if you want to, little wolf.”

It felt nice to hear that nickname. He wished he had a nickname to call Theo, but nothing sounded right in his head. He was going to have to come up with something to call the chimera to make things even.

“So, what’ll it be?” Theo’s voice was so gentle tonight.

Liam knew what he wanted. He just had to decide if he could tell him. And he knew If he couldn’t tell him this, there was no way he was going to be able to ask the big question in the morning.

“No shirts.” Liam whispered.

Theo pulled off his shirt and tossed it onto his duffle bag on the dresser. Liam stared at the bare chest, knowing that it was warm and soft. He felt Theo’s hands on the bottom of his own shirt and when he looked up into his eyes he could see the question there. Liam nodded his permission and Theo lifted the shirt up and over his head and tossed it towards the dresser as well.

Theo scooted back onto the bed, leaving space for Liam. He crawled into that space, pressing against Theo, skin to skin. It felt safe, as always, but there was a warmth to it that was different. Liam closed his eyes as he hugged against Theo, the strong arms that had distracted him earlier wrapped around him. His last thought as he fell asleep, that he was glad he’d said no shirts.

Tonight wasn’t dreamless like other nights. He was plagued by the sight of Theo being dragged into hell. His arms scrambling to stay above ground. Desperation on his face. And then he’d slip away completely and Liam was left standing there all alone. A single question lingering in his mind.

_ Why couldn’t I just ask him? _

He’d cry for a while before being forced to relive the experience. When he finally woke up he felt like he’d been through it a thousand times. It took him a moment to realize Theo was shaking him. As he became more awake he felt the wetness on his face and on Theo’s chest.

Theo lifted his chin to look him in the eyes, “Liam, it’s okay. You’re safe.”

But he wasn’t safe. Not from his own thoughts, his own worries. He needed to get them out there. To finally know.

He wiped away the tears with the back of his hand. He looked at Theo’s blue eyes trying to memorize every fleck of color and the gentle expression of concern he was giving him. He grabbed Theo’s forearm, in case it was the last time he’d get to do it.

“Theo?”

“Yeah, little wolf?”

“Do you like me?”


	16. End of The Weekend

“Of course I like you.”

Theo thought he knew what Liam was asking, but he didn’t want to assume. Not with something this important. So, he acted like it was just a question about friendship. Liam’s eyes stayed locked on his face and his hands were firmly wrapped around his forearm in a way that felt like he’d never let go.

“No, um...” Liam bit his lip.

He could tell Liam was afraid and he was afraid too. He worried that if Liam was asking what he thought he was asking that the answer to the question would change things for them. Change things in a way that ended what he felt like had just started, but it was clear the question was eating at Liam. That he wouldn’t be ok until he asked it and got Theo’s answer, even if it wasn’t what he was hoping for.

Theo stared back even though Liam’s sad eyes hurt to look at, “Go ahead.”

He was trying to be gentle even if he couldn’t quite bring himself to be truly encouraging. Theo knew this was hard on Liam, but he also knew if it didn’t happen he would see these tears again. And he fucking hated seeing Liam cry.

“Um, Do you...” Liam fell silent, his eyes moving down to his chest.

“Do I...?” Theo tried harder to be encouraging.

Liam leaned his head against him again and whispered, “Do you...” he could feel Liam bracing himself and tensing up in his arms, “want to be more than friends?”

Finally, he’d asked. He didn’t know what answer Liam wanted, he really hoped he did, but he couldn’t be sure. Regardless, he couldn’t lie to him.

“Yes, little wolf. I do.” Theo whispered back.

Liam’s hands let go of his arm. Theo worried he’d misread everything. That Liam didn’t want anything but his friendship. Then Liam wrapped his arms around him, hugging tight. He felt all the tension in their bodies melt away.

Liam spoke into his chest again, “Are we boyfriends?”

“If you want to be.” Theo was grinning down at the top of Liam’s head.

“I do.”

Liam squeezed him again and he squeezed back. He could feel the cheek against his chest smiling and he was glad Liam could finally let himself be happy. And it felt good to be a part of that happiness. To be a reason for Liam to be happy.

Theo realized that he did dread at least one thing. They only had one more day left of their weekend together. It would be a whole week before Liam slept in his bed again. He forced himself to stay awake, even after Liam had fallen back asleep. He just wanted to enjoy this feeling before the long wait ahead.

Eventually, he did fall asleep. He was too comfortable not to, with Liam’s skin pressed against his and his little wolf’s gentle breathing. It was another night with no nightmares. He was certain now it was Liam that kept them away.

He’d woken up first and just lay there. He wasn’t rushing them out of bed today. Honestly, he’d be happy if they just stayed there all day.

Eventually, Liam started to wake up. He nuzzled into Theo’s chest, but wasn’t making any attempt to move away. Theo hoped he wanted to stay there together like he did.

“Morning, little wolf.”

Liam yawned a little, “Morning.”

“So, what do you want to do today?”

“You’re not making us get up early again are you?” Liam whined.

“No, not today.”

“Good.” Liam hugged him again.

Good, Liam wanted to stay in bed with him for a while longer. He’d eventually go down and make them some breakfast, but there was no reason to rush. It felt just like yesterday morning and while that was nice it left him with a concern.

“Liam, you remember our conversation from last night, right?”

“Yeah.” He could hear a little nervousness creep into Liam’s voice.

“Just making sure.”

Theo smiled to himself and gently rubbed Liam’s back. They laid there together for a while, just staying close. It was definitely a good morning.

“So, what do we do now?” Liam asked.

“What do you mean?”

Liam tilted his head back to look up at him, “I’ve never been with a guy before.”

“And you think I have?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him.

Honestly, Theo hadn’t ever really been with anyone. The closest he’d come to something was Tracy, but that was only because he needed her for his plan at the time. This was all going to be new territory for him.

“Well, I-- Uh, no?”

“Don’t sound too sure of yourself, now.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it.” Liam pouted.

Theo chuckled, “I know.”

Liam’s pout left when he’d heard the chuckle, but he still looked confused. It was clear that even though he was happy with where they were at, he didn’t know what came next. Theo didn’t really have any answers for him.

“So, you don’t know what to do either?” Liam asked.

“Nope, but we’ll figure it out.” Theo grinned.

“Ok.” Liam nodded.

* * *

Nolan came back from his run feeling pretty good for once. It was nice to actually hang out with people yesterday. Even if he’d let himself get a little wrapped up in his thoughts about Liam, he still enjoyed it.

He’d taken care of all of his responsibilities already, so he didn’t really have anything to do. He worked on his rank for a little while before trying to find something to watch, but it didn’t feel as fun as he’d hoped. He worked out for a little bit, but he just felt antsy. So he sent a text to Mason and Corey. He figured it couldn’t hurt anything.

_ Hey, are you guys free today? _

He checked some of his apps while he waited to see if they were going to message him back. Nothing really new on any of them. He started looking at the upcoming balance patch for his favorite game when a message from Corey finally came through.

_ Actually, we’re showing a friend around town, but you’re welcome to join us! _

_ Cool. Where are you guys? _

_ We’re at the frozen yogurt place downtown. Swirly’s. _

_ I know where that is. Might take me a few minutes to get there. Is that ok? _

_ Yeah, we can wait. _

It didn’t take as long to get there as he thought it would. He immediately saw Mason and Corey when he walked in. They were sitting with a guy that had short curly hair. Nolan thought he was kinda cute. When he came over to the table Mason and Corey actually looked happy to see him.

“Hey, Nolan! Hi!” Mason greeted him, “Have a seat man.”

Nolan gabbed the last chair at the table, “Hi guys. Uh, hi...”

“Alec. Nice to meet you Nolan.” The new boy smiled at him.

“You too.” Nolan was a little nervous, “So, um, how do you know Corey and Mason?”

“Oh, uh, well...” Alec looked at the couple.

“He’s a werewolf.” Corey said before turning to Alec, “It’s ok, he knows.”

“Oh, cool. I hate talking around that.”

It was nice to know that Mason and Corey trusted him. Honestly, it was nice to know that anyone trusted him. Until them, it was just Liam. No, he wasn’t going to think about Liam today. He was just going to have a good day.

Alec looked him over, “So, what are you?”

Nolan shrugged, “I’m just a human.”

“Nothing wrong with that.” Mason chimed in.

They all laughed a little. Nolan kept finding himself drawn to Alec, there was just something about him. He was definitely easy on the eyes, but there was something else there. Alec kept looking back at him too and when they’d catch each other's gaze Nolan would look away, but he still felt Alec’s eyes on him.

“So what’s next?” Alec asked before stopping himself, “Oh, uh, did you want to get some froyo Nolan? I’m sure we can hang out here a bit longer.”

“Oh, no, I’m ok.” Nolan shook his head.

“Then we’re headed to the arcade.” Corey grabbed the empty cups and went to throw them away.

“This is the one you were telling me about yesterday, right?” Alec grinned.

Mason nodded, “Yep, you’ll see. It’s pretty big.”

Nolan liked the idea of going to the arcade with friends. He had to take a moment to push away the memories of Liam rejecting him there, but he still wanted to go. Besides, Mason and Corey had been really cool to him and Alec definitely seemed nice, so he didn’t want to miss out.

Corey came back to the table and they headed outside. Nolan knew exactly where the arcade was so he wasn’t really worried about meeting them there. Alec surprised him by stopping Mason and Corey before they headed to their car.

“Hey, I’m sure Nolan doesn’t want to drive over alone.” Alec looked to Nolan, “Do you want me to ride with you?”

“Oh, yeah, sure.” Nolan chuckled nervously.

Mason and Corey exchanged looks. Nolan was sure that it meant something, but he couldn’t figure out what. Probably some stupid cute couple thing.

“Alright, we’ll see you there.” Mason grinned.

Nolan led Alec to his car. He saw Mason and Corey pulling out as he started the engine. He and Alec buckled up and they were headed on their way. It would be maybe ten minutes to the arcade.

“Those two really talked this place up. Is it actually that good?” Alec seemed to be keeping his eyes on him while he drove.

“It’s pretty good. They have lots of different machines and they actually try to stay up to date.”

“Ah, cool. Any favorites?”

“Well, at the arcade I like racing games. It’s more immersive than at home. Honestly though, I like playing lots of different stuff. Really, whatever.”

Nolan felt weird rambling on about himself. Alec was probably just being nice and making small talk. He didn’t need to bore him with the details, especially after he’d been so considerate.

“So you’re a gamer too?” Alec still had his eyes on him.

“Oh, uh, yeah, I guess.”

“What do you play at home?”

“Mostly fighting games. There’s one in particular that I play a lot, but whatevers fun really.” Nolan reminded himself not to ramble.

“Awesome, I love fighting games! I usually have to play online though.”

“What, why?”

“My friends could never keep up.”

He laughed along with Alec. He definitely understood that feeling, he’d never played anyone in person that could keep up with him. Maybe they’d get a chance to play against each other today.

“So, are you just visiting Mason and Corey?” Nolan glanced at Alec.

“Actually, I just moved here yesterday.”

“Oh, are you gonna be going to Beacon Hills then?” 

“Yep, gotta finish up registration tomorrow.”

“Nice!” Nolan was more excited about that than he expected he’d be.

They rounded the last corner on the way to their destination. Alec took his eyes off of Nolan for what felt like the first time the whole ride there. He was gawking at the arcade as they pulled up to it.

“Wow, they really weren’t kidding. This place is huge.”

“Wait ‘til you get inside.”

Nolan parked the car. They got out and caught up to Mason and Corey out front before heading inside to buy their time cards. They all decided to let Alec lead the way, since it was his first time there and they ended up playing all kinds of games. Nolan was actually having a lot of fun. He was definitely thankful for Mason and Corey and he felt like he could count Alec as a friend already too. It was definitely a good day.

* * *

Liam sat at the kitchen island watching Theo cook. Today had been amazing so far, even though they hadn’t really done anything. He’d worried so long about scaring Theo away, but after their conversation this morning he finally knew he wouldn’t.

They were boyfriends now. Liam smiled to himself about that. It hadn’t really changed anything about the way they treated each other or what they did together, but it made him more comfortable with their closeness. This was the first time today they hadn’t been right next to each other.

“Almost done.” Theo said over his shoulder.

Whatever he was making smelled good. He was going to have to get Theo to teach him how to cook. His current list of things he could make consisted of badly scrambled eggs and terribly scrambled eggs.

Theo strained some pasta in the sink, before adding it into a large pot and mixing it up. Liam watched his muscles as he scooped servings into bowls for them. He’d never really been attracted to a guy before, but he thought he might be attracted to Theo.

Theo slid the bowls over to his side of the island, “Here you go, little wolf.”

He’d been calling him that more today and Liam liked it. He knew that he was supposed to be the ‘alpha’ of Beacon Hills, but he liked the idea of Theo protecting him and having his back. It definitely felt like less of a burden.

Theo pulled up a stool beside him and they ate the pasta together. It tasted as good as it smelled, some kind of creamy tomatoey bacony sauce on penne pasta. After a couple of bites he gave Theo a quick hug before going back to his food.

Theo chuckled, “What was that about?”

“I just wanted to thank you for making us something to eat.”

“Well, a hug is nice, but if you really want to thank me, you’ll do the dishes.” Theo arched an eyebrow at him.

“If all I have to do is wash some dishes for food this good, I’ll do them every time.” Liam was already halfway through his bowl.

“I’ll remember that.” Theo winked at him.

They finished their food and, just like he’d said, Liam took care of the dishes. Theo actually helped him dry them this time even though Liam said he could just sit back if he wanted. Once that was all done they went back up to Theo’s room and jumped into bed together.

Theo sat up at the head of the bed and he sat beside him, but curled in close enjoying the feeling of their bare skin touching again. Liam let his hands roam a little, feeling Theo’s muscles under the smooth skin as Theo looked for something they could watch. He didn’t really care what he put on though, he just liked being here. He knew he was going to have to go home tonight so he wanted to spend as much time as he could as close to Theo as possible before he wouldn’t have him there with him.

Theo let him be as close he wanted, but he still seemed to let Liam take the lead. There were things he knew boyfriends did, but he didn’t know if he was really ready for any of that yet. So, he appreciated Theo being so relaxed about things.

Liam let his head rest against the top of Theo’s chest, “Thank you.”

“Your welcome?”

“I just-- thanks for today.” Liam hoped he’d understand what he meant.

“All we’ve done is hang out and watch stuff.”

“I know.”

“Is there anything you want to do before I take you home tonight?”

“No, this is good.”

Theo chuckled, “Ok”

“Is there anything you want to do?”

“I just want you to be happy, little wolf. If you’re ok, I’m ok.” Theo squeezed him close and nuzzled the top of his head.

Liam smiled against Theo’s chest. The warmth, his skin, the affection, everything felt nice. Liam was definitely ok.

* * *

Nolan picked at his nachos. Their time cards had run out, so they decided to get something to eat before figuring out if they wanted to get more play time tonight. The food here wasn’t amazing, but it was better than leaving to go somewhere else.

Alec was a pretty cool guy. They liked a lot of similar games, so he could forgive him for being into air hockey. He still played with him, losing pretty miserably, but Alec wasn’t a dick about it.

He found himself wondering if they would have any of the same classes on Monday. It would definitely be nice to see him around more. He hoped they would have the same free period or even lunch together, because at least then they could talk.

“Thanks for showing me around today guys. I appreciate it.” Alec took a sip from his straw.

“Hey, no problem. Glad to have you in Beacon Hills man.” Mason grinned before stealing one of Corey’s cheese fries.

“Yeah, we definitely hope you like it here.” Corey glared at Mason and slid his fries further away from him.

“If everyone’s as nice as you guys are it’s going to be awesome.” Alec looked around the table at each of them, and Nolan wasn't sure, but he felt like his eyes lingered on him a bit longer.

“Thanks for letting me tag along today, definitely beat staying home.” Nolan really did appreciate them letting him crash their hang out.

“I’m glad to know not all of Mason and Corey’s friends are weirdos.” Alec laughed.

Mason and Corey laughed with him and Nolan chuckled along because they were laughing. He wondered what Alec meant by that. He definitely didn’t see himself as not a weirdo.

“Oh man, sorry you had to meet Hayden. That was something else.” Mason shook his head.

“You’re not wrong there. Was she always such a bitch?” Alec finished off the last bite of his burger.

“Pretty much.” Corey chuckled as he tried to keep his fries out of Mason’s reach.

“And what’s the deal with Liam and Theo?”

Ok, Alec had already met Liam and of course he was with Theo. Nolan caught the tail end of Mason waving his hand in front of his throat, trying to get Alec to stop talking about it. Alec looked kind of confused by the request.

Mason and Corey definitely knew more about what was going on with those two, but they didn't want Nolan to know. Or maybe they thought he wouldn't want to know. They knew how he felt about Liam, so they were probably just trying to keep him from getting upset.

“Guys, it’s ok. He’s your friend. I know you’re going to talk about him.” Nolan wanted to sound more positive, but he couldn’t prevent some sadness from sneaking into his tone.

There was an awkward silence after that. Even if he’d said it was ok, it was clear that none of them felt it actually was. He’d killed the mood.

“So, are we getting more time or is there somewhere else you guys want to show me?” Alec asked.

“Honestly, there’s not much else around here.” Corey had given up trying to keep his fries for himself and just let Mason have them.

“Well, there’s the mall, but it would be closed by the time we got there.” Nolan realized it wasn’t a helpful addition to the conversation.

“Then we’ll have to go another night.” Alec grinned, “Actually how late is this place open on a Sunday?”

“About another three hours.” Nolan already knew they closed at nine.

“You guys up for closing this place down?”

“I’m in.” Mason finished Corey’s last fry.

“And he’s my ride, so I’m in.” Corey shrugged.

“Oh, so now I’m just your ride?” Mason scoffed.

“Well, when you think about it...” Corey laughed.

Mason gasped and lightly shoved Corey’s shoulder, “Did you guys hear that? My baby made a dirty joke. I’m finally rubbing off on him.”

Alec went wide-eyed and was clearly trying to hold in laughter after what Mason had just said. It took Nolan a second, but he realized what was so funny and he couldn’t hold his laughter in. Soon, the rest of them were laughing with him.

“Alright, let’s go get some more time.” Alec got up from the table and stretched. 

They gathered up their trash and tossed it out before going back to up to the counter to reload their cards. Nolan hadn’t spent this much time in the arcade in a long while. And even then he’d just been playing by himself. He found himself hoping he’d get to do this more often.

* * *

Theo had enjoyed their lazy day together and he was looking forward to the next one already. He didn’t think Liam had let go of him except for bathroom trips and meals. Definitely a day he wanted to repeat.

There were a couple times he’d almost let himself get too affectionate. Liam had hugged him before he made them lunch and he almost let himself kiss him. As much as he wanted to, he just didn’t know if Liam was ready for that, so he held back. As always, he’d let him make the first move instead because he had no intention of rushing things and ruining them.

They were both quiet on the ride to Liam’s house. Neither of them were happy their weekend was over, but they both knew he had to go home. Liam being grounded again wasn’t something either of them wanted.

Theo let himself rest his elbow on the console while he drove and Liam had taken that opportunity to wrap around his arm and lean against him. He couldn’t help but think how adorable he was. He knew he was going to miss him tonight.

Theo pulled into Liam’s driveway and they sat there for a minute, Liam still clinging to his arm. He couldn’t blame him. He wasn’t looking forward to watching him walk into that house. He cut the engine and leaned into Liam’s grip.

“Can I come over next weekend?” Liam finally broke the silence.

“You better.” Theo faked a threatening tone before chuckling.

“I want to.”

“Then I’ll pick you up on Friday.”

Liam squeezed his arm, “Thank you.”

He knew he’d be looking forward to it all week. Especially now that they were being honest about what this was. And he did have a reason to see him throughout the week.

“Do you want me to take you home after practice again?” Theo whispered.

“Please.”

“I’ll be there.”

Liam sighed, he slowly slid his arms from around Theo and pulled his backpack out of the floor of the truck. He turned to look at Theo, the fact he didn’t want to go obvious on his face. Theo figured he probably didn’t look much better. 

Liam sighed, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, little wolf.”

Liam opened his door, stopping for just a moment before getting out. He shut it and looked in at Theo, still clearly reluctant to go. He hung his head and walked up to the house, unlocking the door and glancing over his shoulder for a moment before going inside.

Theo waited for the light in Liam’s room to come on. This time, Liam came up to the window and looked down at him. He grinned up at him, trying to reassure him as he started the truck back up and pulled back out onto the road. 

He did the drive back to Melissa’s on autopilot. He was thinking about Liam going to bed alone and hoping he’d be able to sleep ok. At the same time hoping he’d be able to sleep ok tonight himself. He barely realized he’d pulled into Melissa’s driveway as he did it.

He was glad Melissa was already in bed as he entered the house. She probably would have worried considering how he looked right now, but he knew it was a sort of good sadness. He had someone to miss. Someone to look forward to.

As he locked the door behind him, his phone dinged. It was a text from Liam. There were no words, just a single heart emoji. He grinned and sent his own heart emoji back before heading upstairs to get ready for bed. It was about 16 hours until he’d pick Liam up from Lacrosse practice and he already knew he’d be counting them down.

* * *

Nolan looked around the arcade. There were only a few other people there as the arcade started shutting down. Their game cards had run out again just a few minutes ago, so they were making their way outside.

They’d played a lot of different games in the past couple of hours. Somehow Alec had convinced him to give air hockey another try and he still lost, but Alec had given him some tips as they played this time. So while he took a beating, it wasn’t a thorough one like earlier.

Mason and Corey had spent less time playing themselves and more time watching him and Alec play. Nolan kept offering for one of them to go ahead and step in, but they kept declining. He felt greedy taking up Alec’s time, but he was having a lot of fun and they didn’t seem to mind.

Today had been really great. It was really the best day he’d had in a long time. He wasn’t looking forward to it ending, but unfortunately it had, so they were headed back to their cars.

Corey stopped them all outside the entrance, “Nolan, Alec actually lives like pretty much down the street for you? Do you think you could give him a ride home? It’s kind of in the opposite direction for us.”

Nolan definitely didn’t mind, “Oh, yeah, sure. No problem.”

“Is that ok with you Alec?”

Alec grinned, “Sounds good to me.”

“Alright, we’ll see you guys tomorrow then.”

“Remember, if they let you pick your free period, take second period.” Mason nodded to Alec.

“Second period. Got it.” Alec nodded back.

“Be safe guys.” Mason walked off with Corey.

“You too!” Alec and Nolan called after them, chuckling when they’d spoken at the same time.

Alec followed him back to his car and they both got in. They buckled up and Nolan started the engine before he realized he didn’t actually know where he was going. He pulled out his phone, unlocked it and handed it to Alec who looked confused.

“Do you want my number?” Alec was watching him again.

Yes, “Sure, but if you could put your address in the GPS that’ll help too.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

Alec tapped away at his phone for a bit before putting the phone in the holder on the dash. The screen was pointing him towards Alec’s house and Mason and Corey were right, it was pretty close to his. Now that he knew where he was going, he started driving.

“Thanks for the ride. You’ll have to show me where you live some time.” Alec grinned.

“Oh, yeah, it really is pretty close. I usually pass by your place when I go for a run.”

“Well, if you ever need some water, feel free to stop by.” Alec chuckled.

Nolan thought that was kind of a weird offer, but it seemed nice enough, “Your aunt won’t mind some stranger stopping by?”

“Nah, she’s pretty cool actually.”

Nolan kind of liked the idea of stopping by Alec’s house. It had been a while since he’d had a friend he could just swing by and hang out with. He never really did that though, he always texted first. He didn’t want to get in anyone’s way.

Nolan wanted to talk more, but he didn’t really know what to say. As they pulled out of downtown, the car had gone quiet. Alec, thankfully, didn’t let that last for long.

“Corey said you were on the lacrosse team?” Alec asked.

Nolan nodded, “Oh, yeah, I am. Are you gonna try out?”

“Oh, no, I don’t play, but I like to watch.”

“Well, we have a game in a couple weeks.”

“You guys have practice tomorrow too, though, right?”

Nolan wondered why he would care about that, “Yeah, but it’s just like drills and mock games.”

“Well, I still might check it out.” Alec shrugged.

Nolan kind of hoped he would, even though he thought it would probably be boring to watch. He remembered that Mason usually came to watch Corey, so maybe they would hang out or something. If he saw him there he’d have to at least say hi.

Alec was still watching him, “Hey, thanks for hanging out today. I’m really glad I got to meet you.”

Nolan blushed, he should have been the one thanking Alec for putting up with him, “Oh, uh, I’m just glad you guys were ok with me joining.”

“You’re welcome any time.” Alec smiled. 

“Ok.” He hoped Alec wasn’t just being nice.

The GPS alerted him that he was close to his destination. They pulled up to Alec’s house and he took off his seatbelt, but he didn’t get out right away. Alec turned in his seat.

“Thanks for the ride.”

“It’s really no problem.”

Alec smiled and got out of the car but leaned his head back in, “I put my number in your phone. You should text me so I have yours.”

Nolan didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded. Alec seemed happy enough with that so he went on into his house. Nolan sat there for a moment hoping he wasn’t about to wake up. When nothing happened, he started the very short drive home. Once he was there, he pulled his phone off the dash and opened his contacts. Alec’s number was right there at the top. He went ahead and sent him a text.

_ Hey, it’s Nolan. _

He figured it would be a while before he got a response, so he started tucking his phone in his pocket. Before he could, it dinged. Alec had already gotten back to him.

_ Hey, thanks for texting. Saving your number now. _

Nolan was surprised. Alec actually wanted to be his friend. He thought about texting him again, but he probably wanted a break from him after they’d just spent so much time together. His phone dinged again.

_ Feel free to text me whenever. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of love to everyone. I hope your week is going ok.  
> I appreciate each and every one of you.
> 
> <3


	17. Another Monday

Liam had asked Corey and Mason to meet him in the bleachers during their free period again. He wanted to share his news, but he didn’t want to do it in front of Nolan, so it seemed like a good way to accomplish that. They didn’t make it right away, but they did show up.

Even though he was excited to talk to his friends, Liam was still tired. He’d had a tough time falling asleep last night. He missed Theo being there with him and while he did have some of Theo’s scent lingering on him, it wasn’t the same. The weekend had spoiled him.

“Hey man, you wanted to talk about something?” Mason grabbed a spot near Liam.

“Yeah.” Liam could feel his grin taking over his face.

Corey grinned along with him, “Good news, huh?”

“Yep.” His grin just got bigger.

“Well, are you going to tell us or not?” Mason was already getting impatient.

Liam bit his lip for a moment, holding back a little longer just to mess with his best friend, “I have a boyfriend.”

Liam was positively beaming. He hadn’t really said the words out loud yet and doing so made it that much more real. Theo was his boyfriend. They were actually together now.

“Finally!” Mason laughed.

Corey was looking at him like he was the last puppy at the pet store, “Awww...”

“Yeah, yeah, I know you called it, but it’s official now.” He was so glad.

“So, you’ve been waking up next to him, huh?” Mason wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Yeah, kind of.” Liam blushed a little.

“Wait,” Mason went wide eyed, “did you two?”

It took Liam a moment to follow Mason’s train of thought, “What? No! I mean, I don’t even really know how that works. And he’s only seen me naked once anyways. We just sleep together. I mean, we took our shirts off, but that’s it.”

Liam stopped himself from continuing to ramble. Everything he’d already mentioned was a mess. He couldn’t imagine it getting any better if he continued. He could already see Mason mentally sorting through it.

“Wait, so you guys haven’t done anything?” 

Liam bit his lip and shook his head. He and Theo had spent all their time being close, cuddling and snuggling, but that was it. He’d started to wonder about more when he couldn’t sleep last night, but was having a hard time wrapping his head around it.

“Well, don’t let him rush you.” Corey had wrapped a hand around Mason’s mouth before he could talk, “You do things at your own pace, ok. Don’t let anyone pressure you into anything.”

Liam got defensive, “Oh, no, Theo hasn’t--”

“I meant Mason, here.” Corey nodded towards Mason.

Liam chuckled, “So far we’ve just been close. A lot.”

Just thinking about snuggling up with Theo made Liam happy. He was already counting the minutes until lacrosse practice would be over. He just wanted to see him again.

Mason pried the hand off his mouth, “Like snuggling?”

Liam blushed again, “Yeah.”

“Well, I’m happy for you.” Mason clapped a hand on Liam’s shoulder.

“Thanks.”

“Alright man, well, we need to get back to the library. We told Nolan and Alec we’d only be gone for a few minutes.” Mason squeezed his shoulder and stood up.

“Ok.” Liam nodded, “Did you want me to come?”

“Uh...” Mason paused and traded glances with Corey, “Probably best if you didn’t. Not sure Nolan’s totally over you yet.”

“Oh... yeah.” Liam still felt bad for what he’d done, “Is Alec settling in ok? I only really got to talk to him before the pack meeting the other night.”

“Seems to be. We showed him around town some yesterday. Oh and he got the same free period and lunch as us, which is pretty cool. I think he’s in your history class, too.”

“Wow, ok. Good, but I probably should have been there yesterday.” Liam was already failing at being a leader again.

“No, dude, you’re fine.”

Corey stood up next to Mason, “We could plan to do something all together soon if you want?”

“Yeah, we should get together as a pack.” Liam agreed.

“Alright, I’ll text you some ideas?”

“Ok.”

“See you later man.” Mason grabbed his backpack and headed off with Corey.

Liam sat there alone again, thinking about seven o’clock. He decided he’d try to surprise Theo tonight. He pulled out his phone and texted his parents.

_ Hey, can I have someone stay over tonight? _

* * *

Nolan nervously looked around the library. Mason and Corey had just left him alone with Alec. It had been a week since his blowup with Liam and he could still see people whispering and glancing at him. He wondered how long this could go on.

Alec pulled his attention back to the table, “Hey, thanks again for texting me your number last night.”

Nolan was a little confused at being thanked for that, “Yeah, no big deal.”

“And I meant it.”

“Huh?”

“You can text me whenever.”

Nolan half-smiled, “Ok, I will.”

Nolan had wanted to text him back again that night, but he didn’t want to ruin a good thing. Alec had already spent the day with him, so he’d assumed that Alec was just being polite. He didn’t want to be annoying, but maybe Alec actually liked spending time with him.

“It’s cool you were able to get this free period.”

“Yeah, Mason was right. I just asked and they worked it out.” Alec grinned.

“I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of you?”

Alec laughed, “Yeah, here, one sec.” Alec pulled something out of his backpack. “Here’s my whole schedule, do we have anything else the same?”

Alec slid the paper in front of him. He scanned it over and it didn’t look like they did, until he realized he was reading it wrong. They actually had a class together.

“Looks like you’re in my history class. And lunch.”

“Great! Glad to know I won’t be alone all day.”

Nolan didn’t know what Alec was worried about. He was cute and nice, people were going to like him. He’d probably have a few new friends before the day was over. Hell, someone would probably even ask him out.

Alec looked around the library, “Any reason people keep looking at you weird?”

Nolan slid the schedule back. If he didn’t tell him he would probably find out anyway. At least if he explained it he could tell his side of things.

“I kind of shouted at Liam last week.”

“Liam? Aren’t you guys co-captains? Was it a lacrosse thing?”

“Uh, no.” He didn’t really want to go into more detail, but, again, better to stay ahead of the rumor mill, “We kind of went on a date and he dumped me at the end of it.”

There, he said it. It still crushed him. He should have seen it coming, the more he thought back on it, but he was just so smitten with Liam. And it was his first date, like, ever, so he was excited just to be there. Of course he found out later that Liam was already into someone else.

“Well, his loss.” Alec took the paper and slid back into his backpack.

Nolan shrugged, “If you say so.”

Mason and Corey had come back, taking the other seats at the table. They hadn’t been gone too long, so the thing they needed to take care of must not have been too crazy. It couldn’t have been too serious either as both of them seemed to be in good spirits.

“So, what’d we miss?” Mason grinned.

Nolan looked around at the other students, “Just catching Alec up on the big rumor.”

“Jeez, we were gone for, like, ten minutes.”

“He asked.” Nolan shrugged.

“I’m sorry, Nolan. I thought it was just because you were co-captain or something.” Alec apologized.

“Or something, I guess.” Nolan frowned and hung his head.

Alec touched his hand, “Hey, I’m sorry, ok?”

Nolan looked up when he felt the contact. Alec was looking him right in the eyes, making sure he could see his face. Why did he care so much about how Nolan felt? He nodded back, staring into the deep brown eyes for a moment.

“It’s ok, you were going to find out eventually anyway.” Nolan still hadn’t looked away.

“Glad I got to hear it from you then.” Alec smiled.

Wow, he was really cute. Nolan forced himself to look away, even if he didn’t want to. He’d already ruined one friendship by being too interested, he didn’t want to ruin another one. That is if Alec actually considered them friends already.

When he glanced over at Mason and Corey the two of them were giving each other weird looks again. He still assumed it was some couple thing he’d never understand. After a few moments of silence, Corey started up some small talk about Alec’s schedule and what he thought of Beacon Hills so far. Partway through the conversation the bell rang, signalling the end of the period. They all packed up their things and headed to their next classes, but they’d all see each other again at lunch.

Lunch was pretty much more of the same. Alec joining them at what was now their table. They asked him how his classes had gone and what he thought of the teachers. Before they knew it their lunch was already over. The next time Nolan would see Alec would be in History.

* * *

Liam was excited. He’d gotten permission from his parents, so tonight he was going to ask Theo to stay over after he picked him up. He was already looking forward to falling asleep in his arms again.

Outside of that, the school day had been pretty unremarkable. People were still whispering about him and Nolan, but he didn’t really care anymore. They’d probably find something new to latch onto soon enough.

He strolled into History, wondering if Mason had been right and it didn’t take him long to find their new packmate with the curly hair. He was sitting behind Nolan and the two were chatting. When Alec noticed him looking, he stopped talking to wave at him and he waved back.

He definitely didn’t expect to see Alec and Nolan getting along so well, but then he still didn’t really know much about Alec. Besides, it wasn’t really a problem if they were friends or anything.

The rest of the day just dragged on. Every class felt like it took hours to end. Then, after that, there was the eternity of lacrosse practice.

He was still letting Nolan take the lead, giving him advice away from the others from time to time. It was working out pretty well. Nolan seemed to be getting more confident with his co-captaining and the team was really starting to trust in him.

He noticed partway through practice that Alec was sitting up in the bleachers with Mason, watching them. The two of them seemed to be getting along pretty well. For a moment he worried about Alec taking his place as Mason's best friend.

During their break, he went up to say hi and Corey and Nolan followed too. Alec really seemed to have made fast friends with Nolan. He was definitely paying a lot of attention to him. He thought he would get a chance to discuss the potential pack meeting, but with Nolan there he couldn’t really bring it up.

Another couple hours on the field later and they were heading into the locker room. He’d seen Theo arrive and meet up with Mason and Alec towards the end. Liam had been grinning like an idiot since because he was so eager to share his surprise.

He’d showered and changed pretty quickly, not even really making small talk with the team like usual. He slung his backpack over his shoulder, shut his locker and rushed out of there. He quickly found Theo waiting with Mason and Alec in the usual spot.

“Hey.” Liam was still all smiles.

“Someone’s in a good mood.” Theo grinned back.

“Yeah.”

He blushed a little. He didn’t know why, but feeling excited in front of Mason and Alec felt weird. Not in a bad way really, just that he didn’t know how Theo would feel about them in public. He decided to test the waters with that and launched into a hug. He could tell Theo was caught off guard by the stiffness of his muscles, but after a moment he hugged him back.

“Someone’s in a really good mood.” Theo chuckled.

He nodded against Theo’s chest. The same chest he planned to sleep against tonight. Except this time it would be in his bed. At least, if Theo was ok with his surprise.

“Awww...” Corey must have made it out to their meeting spot.

“They’re almost as cute as we are.” Mason’s grin was obvious in his voice.

“Alright, you ready to go, little wolf?” Theo gave him a firm squeeze before stepping out of the hug.

“I’m ready.” Liam smiled and grabbed Theo’s arm, following behind him to the parking lot.

He could hear Corey as they left, “That nickname is adorable.”

He and Theo wove through the other cars until they got to his truck. Liam stole another hug before he climbed up into his seat. He was glad Theo didn’t seem to mind him being affectionate in public.

Theo started the drive to Liam’s house, “So, what’s all this about?”

“Well, I asked if you could stay over tonight and my parents said yes.”

“Really now?” Theo raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I know I should have asked if you could, first. I just, I wanted to surprise you. I hope that’s ok? I didn’t really sleep well last night. So, I hope you can. I, uh, I missed you.” Liam bit his lip to stop rambling.

He could see a huge grin on Theo’s face. He wasn’t answering him though and that was making him nervous. He hoped his surprise hadn’t been in vain.

“It’s ok.” Theo was still focused on the road.

“So, will you stay tonight?”

“Probably.”

“Probably?” Liam was starting to feel like he was being messed with.

“Yeah, I’ll see what I can do.”

Liam glared, he was definitely being messed with, “Realy, that’s it?”

Theo laughed, “Just wanted you to feel what it was like when I tried to surprise you.”

Liam rolled his eyes. He remembered when Theo had come and watched his whole practice just to take him home after. Mostly he remembered convincing him to stay that night, but when Liam thought about it, he hadn’t really acted that excited.

“Jerk.” Liam muttered.

“And I missed you too.” Theo put a hand on his knee and squeezed it.

“So, you’ll stay over?”

“Of course I will.” Theo chuckled.

Liam was relieved. He’d started to worry that Theo might not be able to. He let himself look forward to snuggling up together again. He leaned against Theo’s arm, nuzzling it. He really liked the way Theo smelled. Didn’t matter if he was fresh from the shower or he’d been working all day. Theo always smelled great.

"Are you gonna stay the whole night this time?" Liam hoped he would.

"Well, your parents are ok with it this time. I'll be there all night. No leaving, I promise."

Liam smiled, "Good."

"Besides I can't let what you said to the pack be a lie."

Liam could feel himself turning red, "I didn't mean to say that..."

"I know, but you did mean it. And for the record, I like waking up next to you too, little wolf."

Liam already knew what Theo was saying was true, but there was something about actually hearing and knowing for sure that made it that much better. He still needed to come up with a nickname for Theo. It wasn't fair that he got to be all cute with him and he couldn't return the favor.

He was anxious to get home and have Theo to himself again. To snuggle up and stay as close as he could for the rest of the night. To spend the night with his boyfriend.

* * *

Nolan stepped out of the locker room just in time to see Liam hug Theo. Not the first thing he expected to see and definitely not the first thing he wanted to see. Liam looked so happy and he just couldn't help feeling jealous of Theo.

Everyone else seemed to be focused on them. He could hear them talking, but couldn't quite make it out. He thought he might be able to just slip out so he didn't have to deal with it.

Then Theo and Liam left. He still considered sneaking off, but Alec had noticed him standing there so it wasn't an option anymore. He walked up to Mason, Corey and Alec, but he couldn't help but watch Liam clinging to Theo's forearm as they left. He could feel their eyes on him when he got closer which made him realize how he must look. Alec seemed especially concerned by the sad look on his face.

"Hey, are you ok?" Alec asked.

"I-- I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Nolan still didn't get why Alec cared so much.

"Do you want us to stick around?" Corey checked.

"Nah, you're fine. I'll just head home."

"We don't mind. Really." Mason added.

"It's ok. Go ahead."

Why couldn't they just leave him be? He hadn't even wanted them to see that, how he'd reacted to Liam. He knew he should probably be over him, but he'd fallen so hard, so fast.

He started walking the other way, he didn't really want to accidentally catch up with Liam. After a minute, Alec jogged up beside him.

"You were really great out there today." Alec nudged him.

"I did ok."

He had seen Alec sitting with Mason in the bleachers during practice. He still didn't know why he'd want to watch the whole thing. What did he find so interesting about lacrosse if he didn't want to play?

"Looked great to me." Alec grinned.

He couldn't help but grin back a little. Alec was just too nice. Much too nice.

"Uh, thanks." Nolan shrugged.

"So, do you really not want to hang out? I was kind of hoping you could show me where you live."

"I'm sure you could hang out with Mason and Corey."

"Well, actually... they kind of left already."

"Really?"

"Yeah, besides, I kind of just wanted to hang out with you."

Nolan stopped, "Oh, uh, ok. Are you sure?"

"Yep. I’ve kind of been dying to play some fighting games with you since you mentioned it before." Alec smiled.

That actually sounded like fun, "I guess I’ll... give you a ride?"

"Ok, good." Alec reached up and scratched the back of his head, he looked relieved. "Didn't really think about letting Mason go without me."

"Alright, come on."

Nolan continued on around the long way to the parking lot. He was thankful he didn't see Liam or Theo when he finally got there. He showed Alec to his car and they hopped in.

"Thanks," Alec buckled up.

"It's no big deal."

"Well, I'm excited to play against someone who's actually good at a fighter."

"We'll see about that."

Alec laughed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I usually only frustrate people."

Most people thought he was too good. Some called him a cheater. No one actually enjoyed playing against him though, at least when he played at his full ability.

"I don't think you have to worry about me."

Nolan figured he'd find out soon enough. They pulled into his driveway and got out. Alec was looking around at the other houses.

"So, how would I get back to my house?"

“If you go three blocks that way,” Nolan pointed, “then take a left and go two more blocks, you’ll be just south of your house on your street.”

“Oh, wow, that’s really close. I could walk here, easily.”

Nolan led him inside and called out to his parents, “I’ve got a friend over!”

“Is he staying for dinner?” Liz shouted back.

Nolan looked at Alec and shrugged, “It’d be in an hour or two.”

“I’d love to stay, if it’s ok with you.” Alec nodded.

“He’s staying!”

“Ok!” Liz shouted again.

Alec pulled out his phone and sent a text, “Just letting my aunt know.”

Nolan nodded and led him up to his room. Still nice and tidy, just like he’d left it that morning. Alec looked around, clearly unsure of where he could sit.

“You can sit on the bed.”

“You sure? This place is pristine. I’d hate to mess it up.”

“Sorry, I just like to keep it neat in here.”

“No need to be sorry, I’m impressed.” Alec grinned at him again.

The grin made him blush this time. He really believed Alec was impressed and wasn’t teasing him. Alec carefully took a seat at the edge of the bed. Nolan could feel his eyes on him the whole time he was starting up his system and grabbing controllers for them.

He set up versus mode and they picked their characters. For some reason Alec turned to wink at him when the match was loading up. Nolan prepared himself to hold back, but he didn’t need to. Alec was actually good. Holy shit. He was actually having trouble keeping up with him. Nolan barely earned his win for that match.

“Wow, you’re really good, they weren’t kidding.” Alec was smiling at him.

He wasn’t frustrated or angry. He was actually smiling. Nolan couldn’t help but stare into those deep brown eyes again. They kind of sparkled when Alec smiled. Okay, it might have been his imagination, but those eyes were still gorgeous. 

“Did you wanna go again?” Alec said carefully.

“Definitely!”

And they did. Again and Again. He didn’t even realize how long they’d been playing until he heard the knock on his door. Must be his mother letting them know about dinner. He was about to get up and answer it when he realized Alec’s leg was pressed against his. He immediately blushed again and Alec looking at him with those eyes didn’t help at all either.

“I, um, that’s probably my mom...” Nolan said as she knocked again.

“Dinner time?” Alec was definitely staring at him.

“Yeah, um, come on.”

He wasn’t sure why he did it, but when he stood up, he held out his hand. Alec took it and used it to help him stand up. He was really staring at him now and Nolan’s heart was pounding. Jesus, those eyes.

Another knock at the door snapped him out his trance and he started towards it, forgetting he was still holding Alec’s hand. He accidentally tugged him along with him before letting go to open the door. His mother stood on the other side. 

She looked past them to the TV screen, “Hope I didn’t interrupt your game, but dinner’s ready.”

“You didn’t.” Nolan could still feel some heat in his cheeks.

She turned to Alec, “Hi, I’m Liz. I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“Uh, no, ma’am. I’m Alec.”

“He just moved to town a couple days ago.” Nolan added.

She let a slight glare fade, “Well, in that case I’ll give him a pass on that ‘ma’am’. Call me Liz, ok?”

“Liz. Got it.” Alec nodded.

They headed down to dinner and it went pretty well. Alec was polite, respectful, and for some reason kept talking about how great Nolan was. His parents didn’t share any embarrassing stories for once in their lives. Nolan was mostly distracted by Alec pressing his knee against his, but he felt like he played it off well. Probably. After dinner he and Alec headed back up to his room to play for a little while longer.

“Nolan, hun, can I get your help for a second?” Liz asked.

“I don’t mind helping.” Alec said.

“Oh, no dear. You go on up.”

“Ok, Liz.” Alec headed upstairs.

Liz leaned in and whispered to Nolan, “I like him a lot better than that Liam boy.” She added a wink at the end.

“Mom!” Nolan whispered loudly.

“What?” Liz feigned being offended, “He’s nice, polite, and very handsome.”

“Mom, really?!” Nolan felt that familiar heat in his cheeks.

“He’s a good boy Nolan, and he seems to like you.” His mother turned and started walking away before calling over her shoulder, “Don’t stay up too late now. It is a school night.”

Nolan tried to let his blushing fade before he headed upstairs. When he felt like he probably had it under control he went up. Inside his room Alec was scanning his movie shelf.

“Wow, you have all of them!” Alec was looking at his Marvel blu-rays.

“Uh, yeah. They’re my favorite movies.” Nolan said apprehensively.

“That’s great! I love superhero movies. Well, DC’s kind of hit or miss, but Marvel’s been doing great.” Alec kept looking through them.

“Did you want to watch one?” Nolan asked.

“Definitely, there’s a couple here I never got to see.”

“Oh which ones?”

“Uh, Antman and The Wasp, Thor: Darkworld, and Iron Man 3.”

“Is Antman ok?”

“Yeah,” Alec stepped away from the shelf, “Here, I’ll let you set it up. I’d hate to mess one of these up.”

Nolan shut down the fighting game and pulled the movie off the shelf, putting it in. He grabbed a controller and took a seat at the head of his bed. Alec followed his lead and took a seat beside him.

He started the movie and after a few minutes of watching, Alec had pressed their legs together again. This wasn’t like when Liam had done it, barely making contact and kind of apprehensive. Alec was very intentional. Maybe his mom was right.

It was already really late for Nolan and he fought to stay awake. He didn’t want Alec to think he was boring him or anything, but eventually he lost the fight. The next thing he knew, he was being softly shaken awake. Apparently, he’d ended up leaning on Alec in his sleep. He sat up and those deep brown eyes were watching him.

“Sorry, this is really late for me. I’m usually in bed by ten.” Nolan was embarrassed.

“You’re ok. You just looked so peaceful, I didn’t want to wake you up.”

They were still right next to each other and Nolan could feel how warm he was. He wanted to lean back against him and just fall asleep. Nolan found himself staring at Alec’s eyes again, just below those curls of dark hair and above those soft lips. No, it was late, he should probably let him go home.

“I didn’t mean to keep you so late.” Nolan tried to look away from those eyes and just couldn’t.

“I don’t mind.” Alec was definitely staring back.

“Do you want a ride home?” Nolan thought he could feel Alec leaning closer to him.

“I can walk it.” Alec was definitely getting closer.

“It’s a quick drive.” Nolan felt himself drifting towards those eyes.

“I’d rather let you get some rest. You’re cute when you’re sleeping.”

Nolan could feel Alec’s breath on his lips. He was going to respond, but as he opened his mouth to speak Alec’s lips grazed his. He kissed him back, leaning fully into it. Somehow, it felt nicer than he expected. The softness of their lips clashing against one another. The edges of Alec’s curls brushing against his forehead. Almost as soon as it started, it was over.

“I’ll let myself out. You go back to sleep.”

Nolan watched as Alec picked up his backpack and walked out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. He should have walked him out, but he was too late, he could already hear the front door opening and closing. His parents usually did a midnight sweep of the house before they went to bed, so he wasn’t worried about it being unlocked.

Nolan slid under the covers, his tiredness sinking back in. He started to fall asleep and he was thinking about Alec. The way their legs had touched all night. That cute curly hair. Those beautiful eyes. The soft way he’d kissed him. Alec kissed him. His first kiss.

* * *

Theo had made them some dinner from what his parents had on hand, which wasn’t much. He was kind of worried about Liam’s diet with all the quick fix options lying around. He really was going to have to teach him how to cook. Not tonight though.

Up in his room they played some games for a while. Liam was practically sitting in his lap while they played. They cycled through a few of them before moving up onto the bed to watch a movie. Partway through, Liam suddenly got chatty. This was one of his little wolf’s habits he was already getting used to.

“Thanks for not being weirded out earlier.” Liam said, completely free of any context.

“Earlier?”

“After practice. The hug.”

Ah, there it was, “Why wouldn’t I want to hug my boyfriend?”

Theo liked saying that just to see the look on his face, he liked hearing it too, but that look. Liam was just so happy that they could finally call themselves that. And Theo liked seeing his little wolf happy.

“In front of people, I mean.” Liam said through his smile

“It was just your friends.” Theo shrugged.

“Oh,” Liam looked down for a moment, “what if it was strangers?”

“Then they’d have to watch me hug you too.”

Theo punctuated his comment with a big hug. Liam hugged him back, clinging on tight. Theo buried his nose in his little wolf’s neck and nuzzled into him. He breathed in deep, inhaling Liam’s scent. He really wanted to kiss him, but he didn’t know if Liam was ready for that yet, so he’d settle for what he could get.

“Good.” Liam said into his ear.

“You ready for bed yet? it’s getting pretty late.”

“Yeah, kinda.” Liam hesitated.

Theo had learned that usually meant he had something to ask, “What is it?”

“I-- Uh, well...”

Theo leaned back so he could look Liam in the eye, “Just ask.”

“I don’t normally sleep in pants.” Liam rushed the words out.

“Then don’t.” Theo shrugged.

“But, what about you?”

"I'm used to sleeping in my clothes."

"Oh..." Liam looked down between them.

"Is that a problem?"

Theo didn't know why but he liked teasing Liam a little. Maybe because it made him ask the things he didn't want to ask. He was going to need to be able to ask hard questions if he was going to be a good leader. 

"No..." Liam was definitely lying.

"Are you sure?" Theo raised an eyebrow.

"Um, maybe we could do no shirts and no pants tonight?"

"Damn, I probably shouldn't have gone commando today."

He watched Liam's face as the realization set in. Liam's eyes went wide first, then he blushed second. He kept looking down between Theo's legs and then away.

Theo spared him more embarrassment, "I was joking, little wolf."

"Oh, ok." Liam looked back up at his face.

Theo got up off of the bed and pulled off his shirt, draping it over the back of the chair at Liam’s desk. He turned around to face Liam who was staring up at him from the bed. He undid the button on his slacks and stopped.

“You sure about no pants?” Theo raised an eyebrow.

Liam nodded, staring at him. He undid the zipper and slid the pants off, folding them over the back of the chair. He stood there staring at Liam.

“I’m waiting...” Theo grinned.

Liam suddenly got confused, “Huh?”

“You said no shirts and no pants.”

Liam wrestled off his t-shirt and jeans, letting them lay in a pile by the bed. Liam was a lot hotter than he’d thought he’d be without clothes on. He didn’t expect him to be quite that muscular, but he definitely was.

“Feel better?” Theo asked.

“Yeah.”

Theo crossed back to the bed and slid in under the covers. Liam snuggled in against him as usual. He could tell Liam was pressing every inch of skin he could against him. It was nice, but Theo wanted to try something new tonight.

“Do you mind if we try something a little different?” Theo whispered.

Liam looked up at him, “Ok.”

“Turn around.”

Liam shifted until his back was pressed against Theo’s chest. Theo slid one of his arms under the pillows and he wrapped his other arm around Liam and pulled him in close. Liam curled his arm against his own chest and Theo wrapped his hand around Liam’s, lacing their fingers together.

“Comfy?” Theo whispered.

“Mmmhmm...”

“G’night little wolf.”

“G’night”

Liam fell asleep first. He usually did. Liam’s bed might not have been as comfortable as Theo’s, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was being able to be close to him. He enjoyed the feeling of the warmth of their skin mingling. The smell of Liam’s hair in his nose. Their legs tangled together. And Liam’s hand laced with his. It was a great night.

Theo let himself drift off after he was satisfied he’d spent enough time enjoying having Liam so close. Another peaceful night. No nightmares, no dreams, just sleep. Until Liam’s door opened.

“Liam... are you and your fr--”

Theo’s heart stopped when Dr. Geyer stepped into the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I hope everyone is doing alright!  
> Stretch your legs and drink some water if you haven't!  
> Feel free to let me know how you feel about the story! I love to hear from you guys!  
> <3


	18. Good Morning

Theo stumbled backwards out of the bed. He definitely didn't expect Liam's step-father to be home, let alone walk right into his room. The panic hit hard and he was checking for an exit. He actually considered how bad it might be to just jump through one of Liam's windows. The only safe way out of the room was through Dr. Geyer.

"Liam!" Dr. Geyer's tone was harsh.

Liam was on the bed looking just as panicked as Theo felt, "Dad?!"

"What the hell is this? You asked if you could have someone over. You clearly left out some details."

"Dad, it's not-- I mean it is, but--"

Dr. Geyer had directed his attention to Theo, "Son, just sit down." He paused, "Better yet, put your pants back on and sit down."

Theo crept over to Liam's desk and grabbed his pants, trying to put them on quickly. Buttoning them was easy, but his fingers slipped off the zipper at least three times before he got it to close. He nervously sat on the bed near Liam's feet.

"Ok, let's start over." Dr. Geyer insisted.

"Dad, I'm sorry--"

"Liam, starting over." Dr. Geyer gave Liam a look that seemed to stop him from talking.

Dr. Geyer had initially looked angry, but he seemed to have calmed down. Theo wasn't really sure what to think of him. He only really saw him in passing at work.

Dr. Geyer looked back and forth between them, "Liam, I want you to tell me who this is."

"I'm--" Theo started.

"Son, no offence, but I was asking Liam."

"He's Theo, Theo Raeken, Dad."

"Ok, that's his name, which I already knew, for the record, but who is he to you?"

Liam looked nervously to Theo before giving his answer, "He's my boyfriend."

Dr. Geyer turned to Theo, "Is this true, son?"

Theo's panic had mostly worn off, "Yes."

"Any reason you didn't want to tell us you had a boyfriend?" Dr. Geyer had turned back to Liam.

"It just happened yesterday." Liam looked worried.

"Yesterday, huh? So you could text us to ask if someone could stay over, but not to tell us you have a boyfriend."

"I wanted to tell you in person and I wanted you to meet him, but I didn't want it to be like this."

"I would have preferred to meet him with his clothes on too." Dr. Geyer shot a sideways glance at him, "but at least you had your underwear on. That tells me you two aren't being too stupid."

"Sorry, Dad." Liam hung his head.

"Liam, I'm not mad. You were home safe. I'm just disappointed you didn't think you could tell us about your boyfriend."

"I know, it's just--" Liam tried to start explaining, but stopped.

"It's just what Liam?"

"He's... he's special to me. A text didn't feel right." Liam looked at Theo, then back to Dr. Geyer, "I wanted you to see why I like him."

"Well, here's what we'll do. You two wake up early enough for breakfast and your mother and I will officially meet Theo tomorrow morning." Dr. Geyer looked between them, "And I won't bring up your sleeping arrangements with your mother either. Deal?"

"Deal." Liam still sounded nervous.

"Deal." Theo nodded.

"Good. I'll see you both at the breakfast table at seven sharp."

Dr. Geyer stepped out of the room and shut the door behind him.

“Well, that could have gone worse.” Theo stood up and walked over to Liam’s desk.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Liam slumped backwards onto the bed.

Theo started taking off his pants again, “There could have been a shotgun--”

“Hey, what are you doing?” Liam interrupted, his head lifted just enough to look at Theo.

“Taking my pants back off.”

“Yeah, but why?”

“Because he said he wasn’t going to tell your mother about it.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?”

“Do you want me to put them back on?” Theo raised an eyebrow at him.

Liam let his head fall back, “No...”

“That’s what I thought.” Theo pulled off his pants and put them back on the chair.

He set an alarm on his phone, leaving it on Liam’s desk so he’d have to get up to stop it. Liam looked up at him as he crossed back to the bed. Those soft blue eyes following his every move. He slid back under the covers with Liam.

“So, did you want to try that again, or do you prefer the other way?”

“Oh, I liked it.” Liam blushed, “I liked holding your hand.”

Theo slid his arm under the pillows again and held the other one up so Liam could scoot back in against him. He wrapped his arm around his little wolf and pulled him in extra close before intertwining their fingers again. He nuzzled the back of Liam’s neck, nose pushing around the long waves of hair. He took another deep breath of Liam’s scent. This time he didn’t fight sleep, he went ahead and surrendered. He was going to need to be well rested for the morning.

* * *

Nolan had fallen asleep again pretty easily, and woke up pretty early the next morning. He was usually up early, but this was the first time in a long time that he didn’t rush out of bed to start getting ahead of his day. He just kept thinking about the night before.

Alec had been so great. Not just because he was actually a challenge in fighting games. Or because Nolan’s parents seemed to love him. Or that he liked superhero movies. Or that he let Nolan fall asleep on him. Or even those seemingly bottomless brown eyes of his. All of those things had been great, but there was one thing Nolan put above the rest of it.

Alec had kissed him. He kissed him. It hadn’t been Nolan who went for it, Alec wanted that kiss. He was the one who closed the gap, the one who made it happen.

And oh my god! He’d called him cute! Cute! Alec really did like him. He laid back in bed and remembered his favorite moments from last night before he let himself think of getting his morning chores done, double checking his homework, or cleaning up his room.

He was excited to go to school today. Excited to see Alec and his friends. Excited to make the drive. Oh, the drive! He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and pulled up Alec’s number. After all he’d said Nolan could text him whenever.

_ Morning! I know you’re probably not awake yet, but do you want a ride to school? _

He stared at the message marked as delivered for a little while before finally starting his morning rounds. Chores were first, he tackled those in less than ten minutes. He double checked his homework to make sure he’d done everything and he found a page of problems that he needed to solve that must have gotten stuck to another one. That didn’t take very long either. Then he began straightening up his room. By the time it rolled around to 7, his phone dinged.

_ That sounds great! When should I be ready? _

As much as he wanted to just go grab him right now, he had to assume Alec just woke up and wasn’t even getting ready yet. He tried to guess at a time that would give Alec enough time to get ready and give them a little extra time before school. He texted back.

_ How about 7:45? That work? _

_ Sure. See you soon. _

Nolan picked out a change of clothes, then decided against them and picked out a different outfit. After two more tries at that, he’d finally chosen something he thought Alec would like. He hauled them off to the bathroom and did all his morning routine, showering, brushing, face wash, before changing.

He looked at his phone, it was seven thirty-five. He didn’t think it would hurt to be a little early so he shouted into the house that he was leaving for school and shut and locked the door behind him. He hopped in his car and was in front of Alec’s by seven thirty-nine.

_ I’m a little early, but if you’re not ready I can wait. _

_ Be there in a sec. _

It really was only a moment before Alec was leaving the house and getting into his car. The curls of his hair still damp from his shower and the smell of soap and shampoo floating around him. He was even more gorgeous now, somehow.

“Hey,” Nolan grinned.

“Hey cutie.” Alec winked.

He called him cute again. He could really get used to that, but he wasn’t used to it yet. He blushed, but he didn’t try to hide it.

The drive to school wasn’t long. Nolan let Alec pick the music and while he wasn’t the biggest fan of the rock songs that were playing, he didn’t hate them. They arrived with almost a full hour before the first bell would ring.

“Did you need to do something before first period?” Alec asked.

“Oh, uh, not really. I just like to be kind of early.”

“I’d say this is a little more than kind of, but I’m sure we can find a way to kill some time.”

“Did you want to go to the library or the courtyard or something?”

“Actually, i’d rather just stay right here.”

Nolan knew he looked confused, but he didn’t care anymore when Alec’s hand held his cheek. And even less when Alec pulled them together. Their lips met again, but this time it wasn’t a brief kiss, it was deeper. Nolan was new to kissing, but Alec was easy to mirror. They made out until the first warning bell rang. They pulled apart, breathless, cheeks flushed, Alec smiled at him and he smiled back. Nolan could definitely get used to this.

* * *

Liam woke up, still wrapped in Theo’s arm, still holding his hand, and wishing the alarm would stop on its own. He didn’t want to get up, but he knew they had to. He reluctantly unlaced their fingers and shifted around to face Theo who he could see was awake, but just as unmotivated to get up as he was.

He studied his face, with those pale blue eyes staring back at him. Liam wondered what it might be like to kiss him. Would it be the same as kissing a girl? Probably not. Before he could give it more thought Theo pulled him into a tight hug against his chest with a brief squeeze.

“I guess it’s time to get up.” Theo didn’t sound enthusiastic at all.

“Yeah.”

Liam breathed in Theo’s scent, taking in deep chestfuls of it. He almost fell back asleep, even with the alarm blaring from his desk. He frowned a bit as Theo pulled away from him, leaving him on the bed alone to finally stop the incessant noise.

When he looked at Theo standing at his desk in just his underwear he grinned. He looked so strong with all of his muscles on display like that. Liam really felt like a little wolf compared to that, but he didn’t hate that feeling at all.

Theo looked over to him, “We’ve got about half an hour before this breakfast thing. You gonna get in the shower yourself or am I going to have to put you in it?”

Liam furrowed his brow, wondering if the threat was really necessary. Then he realized he was still buried in his blanket and hadn’t moved an inch since Theo got up. He sighed and drug himself over to the edge of the bed and sat up.

“Good choice.” Theo winked at him.

Liam tried to rub the sleep from his eyes, “I’ll be quick so you can get one too.”

“Ok, well, I’ll still be wearing yesterday’s clothes.” Theo shrugged.

“You could always borrow some of mine.” Liam yawned out the last word.

Theo chuckled, “Not sure that’s the message you want to send this morning.”

“The message?” Liam scratched his head a little.

“I don’t think they want to see me in their son’s clothes.”   
“Oh, right. Makes sense.”

Liam got up from the bed and suddenly felt weird. This was something he did all the time, but having Theo there made him worry about how he looked. Until he saw Theo clearly checking him out. He smiled to himself before he stretched and headed for his bathroom.

Liam rushed his normal start of day routine. He was getting anxious about breakfast. What kind of things were they going to ask? What would they think of Theo? What would he do if they didn’t like him? He brushed off that last question, they would like him. He hoped.

He dried off and realized he hadn’t brought a change of clothes into the bathroom. He wrapped his towel around his waist and mentally prepared himself to head back into his bedroom. Stepping back through the bathroom door, Theo was sitting on the bed and scrolling his phone.

“My turn?” Theo looked up at him.

“Yeah.” Liam still didn’t know why he was so nervous.

Theo got up and went into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He heard the water turn on as he picked out some clothes. When he heard the shower curtain slide closed, he finally took off the towel and got changed. He tried to pick something that wasn’t as casual as he’d normally go with. He wanted his parents to see him as respectable.

He was making sure he had everything in his backpack when the water shut off. He still had some homework to do, but he’d get to it in his free period. School just felt like such a waste of time lately, so he hadn’t really been trying very hard.

“Liam? Is there a towel in here I’m not seeing?” Theo called from the bathroom.

Liam realized he’d worn the only towel out into his room. He grabbed it from where he’d left it and went to the bathroom door. He didn’t feel right just opening it, so he knocked.

“Just come in.” Theo said.

Liam opened the door to the bathroom to see Theo standing naked and still wet on the bath mat. His heart skipped a beat as his mind tried to process what he was seeing. Somehow, he hadn’t expected this.

“Are you going to stand there and stare or give me that towel?” Theo’s eyebrow arched.

“Oh, uh, yeah, um, here.”

Liam fumbled with the towel, trying to hand it over. He cringed as it didn’t make it into Theo’s hand, but instead fell onto the floor. Theo’s other eyebrow raised as he bent down to pick up the towel, his wet muscles flexing and moving. Liam swallowed nervously at the sight of it.

“S-- Sorry.” Liam stammered.

Theo grinned and started drying off as if Liam wasn’t standing there watching him. When he finished, he put the towel back on the empty rack. Liam knew he should have left after handing over the towel, but something had paralyzed him.

“So, ready for this?” Theo asked as he slid his underwear back on.

“Uh,” Liam had to literally shake himself out of it, “not really.”

“Yeah, me either.” Theo used his hand to comb his damp hair.

“Just be nice, please.”

“What makes you think I wouldn’t be?” Theo tilted his head at him.

“Nothing, I just--”

“I know, I’m special to you. That’s what you said right?”

It was, “Yeah.”

Theo grinned, but it wasn’t one of his cocky grins, “Don’t worry, I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

Liam felt relieved. He wasn’t exactly worried about how Theo would act. After all, he’d actually been really great during the pack meeting. He just knew his parents could be kind of overbearing sometimes. He really hoped this wouldn’t be one of those times.

“Thank you.”

Theo walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently, “I know this is important to you little wolf.”

Liam blushed and bowed his head, “It is.” 

“Now, if you don’t get out of the doorway, we’re going to be late.” Theo looked past him to a clock in his room.

“Oh, yeah, sorry.”

Liam stepped aside and watched as Theo went over to his desk. He watched the clothes slide over his skin as he got dressed again. The image of Theo in his bathroom kept pushing its way into his mind. He knew he liked it, but he still didn’t know what to do about it. He was going to have to ask Mason and Corey for help again. But first, breakfast.

They headed downstairs, a couple minutes before seven. Dr. Geyer was setting out plates and silverware. There was a pile of breakfast food in the middle of the table, clearly something he’d picked up from somewhere this morning. Dr. Geyer finished and sat down. Three place settings.

“Where’s mom?” Liam asked.

Dr. Geyer sighed, “She had a meeting she couldn’t miss.”

“Of course.” Liam muttered.

Liam didn’t know if he was more angry or more sad. It was always work. He used to wonder if she would leave work to come see him if he was in the hospital, but when he thought he’d broken his leg playing lacrosse he’d gotten that answer. Figured she wouldn’t be here when it was something important to him.

“Sorry, Liam” Dr. Geyer sighed.

Liam knew even his step-dad had gotten tired of making excuses for her. He was starting to get more upset, but he forced himself to try to calm down and focus. At least one of them was here.

He grabbed one of the seats at the table and Theo sat down next to him. His step-dad took the one across from them and started putting food onto his plate. Liam and Theo looked at each other before following suit.

Dr. Geyer turned to Theo, “So, you’re dating my son...”

“Yes, sir.” Theo nodded.

“Ok, when did you two meet?”

“Almost two years ago.” Liam’s heart was pounding in his chest.

“Yeah, I moved back to Beacon Hills. Liam was one of the first people I met, actually.” Theo took a bite of bacon.

Dr. Geyer seemed to consider this for a moment before asking another question, “Theo, do your parents know?”

Liam watched Theo’s expression change. He’d gone from his usual casual confidence to a sort of dejected sadness. Liam reached out and grabbed his forearm, still hoping it helped Theo.

“They, uh, they’re not around anymore.” Theo looked down at his plate.

“Sorry, son. I didn’t realize.” Dr. Geyer frowned a bit, “My condolences.”

Liam hadn’t really thought about that either. He just saw Theo as old enough to be on his own. He didn’t really have anyone to fall back on like Liam did. It must have made things so much harder for him.

“It’s ok.” Theo took a deep breath and looked back up, “It’s been a while. Besides, this is supposed to be about you getting to know me anyway. Right?”

Dr. Geyer nodded, “Yeah. So you work at the hospital, that I know. Where are you staying?”

“I’m renting a room from Melissa. McCall, she’s a nurse.”

“I know Melissa. Hell of a nurse and a good woman too.” Dr. Geyer smiled.

“That’s for sure.” Liam thought about all the times she’d helped the pack.

Dr. Geyer’s face suddenly twisted into a glare and he pointed his fork at Theo, “What are your intentions with my son?”

Liam could feel Theo tense under his hand. He hadn’t been prepared for the sudden confrontation. Liam squeezed to remind him to stay calm.

Dr. Geyer laughed, “Sorry, I’ve always wanted to do that.”

Liam and Theo both let out the breaths they’d been holding. They looked at each other nervously before going back to their food. Liam reluctantly let go of Theo’s wrist so they could use both hands.

“Good one, sir.” Theo laughed nervously.

“Eh, it wasn’t, but thanks for humoring me, son.” Dr. Geyer took another bite.

Liam took a few more bites of breakfast to finish off his plate. Theo had already finished his, but he saw him take an extra sausage link. Dr. Geyer hadn’t really taken much in the first place, and now he was looking at the clock.

“Looks like it’s almost time for school.” Dr. Geyer set down his silverware. “Theo, why don’t you go warm up your truck.”

Theo gave Liam a look that said he was checking if it was ok to go. Liam nodded and watched as Theo headed out the front door. He turned back to his step-dad who was giving him his serious face.

Dr. Geyer used his serious tone too, “Liam, first I want to let you know, I like him. Theo’s clearly a good kid and I’ve only heard good things at the hospital.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. But.” Dr. Geyer let that hang for a moment, “I don’t want you doing anything you’re not ready for, ok?”

“Huh?”

“You’re almost an adult, so I’m not going to act like your relationships aren’t going to get physical. Just, be safe and don’t ever do something you don’t want to do. Ok?”

Liam knew he looked like a deer in the headlights, “Ok.”

“And since your mother missed this breakfast, I’m telling her she doesn’t get to weigh in. Theo’s approved. Full stop.”

Liam was still mad she couldn’t pull herself away from work for just thirty minutes. His step-dad wasn’t a whole lot better, but at least he’d been there when it really mattered. That and when he was at work at least he was saving people.

“Thanks Dad.” A grin crept up one side of Liam’s face.

“Now get to school.” Dr. Geyer shooed him towards the door, “And next time you can just tell us your boyfriend is staying the night.”

Liam hefted his backpack over his shoulder before getting up, “Ok, I will.”

Dr. Geyer chuckled, “And don’t worry, I learned my lesson. I’ll knock next time.”

Liam blushed, remembering the moment his step-dad had walked right on into. That was definitely not something he wanted to repeat, so he was thankful he’d knock next time. Next time. He was ok with him having Theo over again. That was great! He turned back to his step-dad.

“Could--” Liam started to ask.

Dr. Geyer cut him off, “Not tonight. Spread it out a little bit for us.”

“So, tomorrow?”

“We’ll see. Now get out of here before you’re both late.”

Liam grinned and went to join Theo in his truck. Well, that was one less thing to worry about at least. Theo had the parental seal of approval. He was definitely going to bug his parents about him coming back over on Wednesday.

* * *

Nolan and Alec had grabbed a table together in the library. The two of them were sitting really close comparing their history homework. He would have rather been making out with him again, but he could wait. He didn’t want to, but he could.

More books slid onto the table as Mason and Corey joined them. Mason was tilting his head and squinting at them. Corey, on the other hand, looked like he was watching a video of kittens playing.

“Something’s different...” Mason said.

“Is it?” Alec was grinning.

Nolan didn’t really know what to say, this was all still so new for him. Also he realized he was just assuming he and Alec were boyfriends now. Neither of them had actually said what this was between them.

Nolan looked at Alec, “It is though, right?” he knew he sounded worried.

“It is, I just wanted to mess with Mason.” Alec kissed his cheek.

“Awwww...” Corey swooned as he sat down.

“You had to kiss him, didn’t you?” Mason chuckled towards Alec and it was clear he wasn’t talking about the kiss he’d just given him..

“Wait, what?” Nolan looked between them.

Mason turned to Nolan, “Dude, it was painful how oblivious you were.”

“Hey!” Nolan crossed his arms.

“He was flirting with you all day.” Corey nodded.

Alec laughed a little, “I thought I was bringing my A game too.”

Nolan’s face was getting red, “Sorry...”

“It just made you more adorable.” Alec grinned.

Mason stopped hovering over the table and sat down next to Corey, “So are you two dating, boyfriends, or what?”

Alec visibly pondered the question, eyes looking up and to the right, “Oh, we haven’t really talked about it, but I like the sound of boyfriends.” He turned to Nolan, “If that’s not too fast for you, of course.”

“Oh, um, yeah,” Nolan chuckled nervously, “I like it too.”

Boyfriends. Maybe it was fast, but he really liked Alec, so did it really matter? He decided it didn’t. He kept rolling the word around in his head. Boyfriends. He definitely liked it.

“Oh, you know what we should do?” Corey asked.

“Not unless you tell us.” Alec chuckled.

Corey rolled his eyes, “Double date. This weekend.”

“Again?” Mason raised an eyebrow.

“The arcade doesn’t count.”

“Agreed.” Alec added.

“What? Why not?” Mason sat back and crossed his arms.

“We weren’t dating yet.” Alec said it like it was obvious, “Besides, I’d rather have hanging out at his place count as the first date. Much better story.”

Nolan agreed that the arcade shouldn’t count, but he was curious what Alec meant when he said their hang out was a better story. He’d really liked it. Really, really liked it. He wasn’t sure it made much of a story though.

"You know you have to tell it now, right?" Mason urged Alec.

“Nah, some other time.”

Corey gave him a fake glare, “Tease.”

As they were all laughing, Liam came up to the table. He looked a little apprehensive, but he took one of the chairs at the end. He set his backpack down on the floor and pulled out a couple of his books.

“Uh, hi guys.” Liam said.

“Hey,” Mason and Corey said together.

“Hi.” Alec followed.

“Uh, hi.” Nolan nodded.

Corey gestured towards Alec and Nolan, “Have you heard? These two are boyfriends already.”

“Oh, wow.” Liam looked shocked, “Congratulations.”

* * *

Liam was actually pretty happy for Nolan. He was surprised he and Alec were already a thing, but he was glad that he found someone. He felt really awkward. Not because he didn’t fit in with his friends, but because of what he wanted to ask them about. Originally, he was going to ask away from Nolan, but he actually seemed ok with him being around today, so he decided to go ahead and put his question out there. Besides, it was better to have more answers, right?

“I, uh, need help again.” Liam nervously looked around at everyone.

“I already told you if you need any advice on technique or form. I’m happy to help.” Mason wiggled an eyebrow at him.

Corey rolled his eyes, “That joke wasn’t funny the first time. What’s going on, Liam?”

Liam’s eyes fell down to the table, “Uh, well, I kind of saw Theo naked this morning.”

“First, congrats. Second, how big is--” Mason was interrupted by an elbow from Corey. “Ow...”

“Instead of making a joke, you could be helpful.” Corey stared at Mason.

“Fine.” Mason rolled his eyes, “How can we help? I haven’t really heard a problem.”

Liam looked around the table while he tried to figure out what exactly he meant by help. Alec and Nolan were quietly listening, but neither seemed to be bothered by the topic. Once Corey had insisted on it, Mason seemed to be taking the situation seriously.

“I’ve never really thought about, uh, doing stuff with a guy before,” Liam imagined Theo in his bathroom again, “but, he’s... hot?”

“Yeah he is.” Mason said, then shrunk away from Corey clearly prepared for another elbow.

“Nah, you can have that one. He’s hot.” Corey agreed.

“I just don’t really know what two guys do? I mean, I know, but not how it really works, I guess?”

“Ok. What have you guys done so far?” Mason asked.

“Still just snuggling, I guess.” Liam shrugged, “Last night we only had our underwear on.”

“Wait, how did you see him naked then?”

“Oh, he took a shower at my place and I had to bring him a towel.”

“Ah... hot.” Mason shook whatever he was thinking out of his head, “So, you guys haven’t even kissed yet?”

“Uh, no.”

Liam felt a lot more nervous now. Should they have kissed by now? Did Theo not want to kiss him? Was he doing something wrong?

“Well, do you want to?” Corey asked.

He thought about Theo’s lips again, “I-- I think so.” Liam shook his head, starting to feel confused and exasperated, “I don’t know.”

“Has he tried to kiss you?” Mason leaned an elbow on the table.

“No.” Liam’s worry started to get worse, “Do you think there’s something wrong with me?”

Mason clearly wanted to make a joke, but held back, “No. This is just new for you. Do you know if Theo has been with a guy before?”

“The Dread Doctors didn’t really let him date.”

Liam could see confused looks from both Alec and Nolan. Neither of them had been around for that, but he didn’t feel like explaining it right now. He was just hoping he hadn’t already messed up somehow.

“So, you’re his first boyfriend too?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, you guys are fine.” Corey’s tone was reassuring, “I was terrified of kissing my first boyfriend.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

That actually made him feel better. Corey always seemed to be the one who most had it together, so knowing that he was scared once was kind of comforting. He’d also forgotten that he was a first for Theo too, maybe he was just as worried?

“So, should I try to kiss him?”

“If you want to.” Corey nodded.

Liam asked the question that scared him most right now, “What if he doesn’t want to?”

“Then you’ll find out, but if you’re that worried about it you could wait for him to make the first move.”

Liam definitely didn’t want to ruin things. Theo was one of the best things, no, the best thing happening in his life right now. Maybe he should just wait for him to make a move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a good weekend and if not I hope the week goes well!  
> I've been loving writing about our boys, even though they can be idiots. lol


	19. Nicknames

Theo parked in the school parking lot. Friday lacrosse practice would be over soon and he was excited to have Liam for the weekend again. He got out and made his way to find Mason and Alec. The new werewolf had been there at the end of practice all week. Apparently, Alec and Nolan were dating, which was good, because that meant Nolan shouldn’t be a problem. The three of them went to their spot outside the locker room where he realized they were all waiting for their respective boyfriends.

“So, Corey, Alec, Nolan and I were wondering if you guys wanted to join us for a Triple Date this weekend. Think Liam would be interested?”

Theo considered it for a minute. He definitely had some plans for this weekend already, but Liam might like a night out with his friends. Besides, he was supposed to work with them if those hunters ever showed up.

“When?” He asked.

“Saturday night. We’re thinking a movie and then the arcade.” Mason shrugged.

He had planned on taking Liam to the arcade, “I’ll talk to him about it.”

Mason squinted at him, “That’s just a thinly veiled no, isn’t it.”

“It’s a maybe,” Theo shook his head, “And no, maybe doesn’t mean no.”

“Can you let us know tonight?”

“Yeah.” Theo nodded.

“It actually would be pretty cool if you could come.” Alec added, “Considering you’re an ally of the pack. I feel like I don’t know anything about you.”

“He has a point.” Mason shifted his backpack from one shoulder to the other.

Theo didn’t like feeling pressured into it, especially when he already thought it was a good idea, “I’ll let you know.”

Corey, Liam and Nolan all came out of the locker room together. From what he could hear they were all chatting about the game coming up next week. He smiled when he caught Liam’s attention.

Liam gave him a hug when he made it over to him. He squeezed him back and lifted him up a little bit before setting him back on the ground. It was nice to know they were going to be together for the next couple of days.

Liam smiled back at him, “Hey.”

“Ready for the weekend?” He knew he was.

“Yep.”

Mason leaned towards them and spoke to Liam, “He said he’d talk to you about the triple date.”

“I said I would ask him.” Liam huffed.

Well, there was no point in discussing it now, “Fine. We’ll be there. Just text us the details.”

“Great!” Mason smiled.

“See you tomorrow!” Nolan shouted as Alec dragged him in the direction of the parking lot.

Corey and Mason nodded their goodbye as they followed after them. Liam started that way too but Theo stopped him by grabbing his hand. He nodded to the side to suggest he wanted to talk for a minute.

“What’s up?” Liam asked.

“You hungry?”

“Starving, actually. Do you wanna go to the diner?”

“I had a different idea for tonight, actually. It’s something I always wanted to do, but I’ll need your help making a list.”

“A list?”

“Yeah.” Theo grinned, “What’s your favorite thing from every fast food place?”

“Every place?”

“Every place.”

“For real?” Liam raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, we’ll go around and get all of them. The perfect junk food feast.” He was starting to worry Liam didn’t see the genius in this plan.

“Huh, ok...” Liam pulled out his phone and started tapping at it.

“We can do the diner instead if you want.” Theo didn’t really want to, but he still wanted Liam to have a good night and if that meant giving up on what he was starting to think was a silly idea, he would.

“No we can’t. I already started my list.” Liam grinned and showed him his phone.

They went to Liam’s house where he grabbed clothes for the weekend. After that they started making the rounds. Hitting pretty much every drive through in Beacon Hills. Midway, Theo swung by the hospital and dropped off a salad for Melissa since she’d be working through the night.

Once they finished and got back to Melissa’s he looked at their bounty. Nachos, slushies, chicken nuggets, seasoned french fries, burgers, fried apple pies, and cookies were spread out on the kitchen island. It was a lot of food.

“This was stupid wasn’t it?” Theo looked at Liam.

“What? No! This is great! What do you want to start with?” Liam’s excitement resparked his own.

“Let's tackle those nachos before they get soggy!”

Theo realized he was smiling like an idiot. He knew this idea was kind of dumb, but he’d never really been able to have much fast food when he was growing up. The Dread Doctors really only let him have basic nutrition. He really had thought about doing something like this since he was a kid and now that he could afford it, he wanted Liam to be there for it.

They worked their way through most of it. By the time they were going to eat the cookies they were feeling full, so they left them for tomorrow. There was something else Theo had always wanted and he already got Melissa’s permission to buy it, moreso her permission to keep it at the house. He hoped Liam wouldn’t mind going out to get it tomorrow.

“So, what do you want to do with the rest of our night?” Theo asked as he threw the last of their trash in the kitchen’s trash can.

“Movie?”

Theo nodded, “Movie.”

They went upstairs to his room and Theo turned on the TV and started up his console. He handed the controller to Liam who started looking for a film to watch. While he looked, Theo started taking off his shirt and pants. He turned back to the bed when the sound of moving through the menu stopped. Liam was staring at him.

“Everything ok little wolf?”

“Um...”

“I can put them back on if you want.”

“No!” He could see the realization on Liam’s face that he’d shouted before he lowered his voice, “I just... didn’t expect it.”

“You can get more comfortable if you want.” Theo suggested.

Liam blushed as he peeled off his shirt and took off his pants. Theo took them and set them on top of the dresser. When he turned back around Liam was still staring at him.

“You sure you’re ok?”

Liam nodded, not taking his eyes off him as he came back to the bed. Theo laid in his usual spot and Liam curled in against him, head on his chest. They’d spent a night together like this again on Wednesday. A night with nothing but their underwear between them. Liam had convinced his parents, well really his step-dad, to let him stay over again and Liam had been brave enough to ask for a repeat of Monday night.

He’d almost kissed him again that morning. The way Liam looked before he woke up was just so adorable. But he still didn’t know if Liam was ready for that, he’d been in so much shock when he saw him naked on Tuesday morning, he worried a kiss would still be too much. The way he’d acted tonight about them just taking off their clothes again wasn’t a good sign for him being ready either.

Theo couldn’t say he wasn’t disappointed. He was thankful Liam wanted to be as close as they were, but he still wanted more. They’d already been through a lot, so he could wait a little longer for him. Risking Liam’s comfort was too much.

They watched their movie, snuggled together and enjoyed the closeness. When it was over, they did their normal night time routine before crawling back into bed. Theo waited for Liam to snuggle back in, but he didn’t. He could see a question brewing.

“Theo?”

“Yeah, little wolf?”

“Can I be the big spoon tonight?”

“Sure.” He wanted to chuckle, but stopped himself so he didn’t accidentally hurt Liam’s feelings.

Theo shifted around until his back was pressed against Liam’s chest. He grinned as the arm wrapped around him and he laced their fingers together. Liam buried his face in the crook of his neck, his breath gliding across the sensitive skin.

“Happy?” Theo asked.

Liam nodded into his neck, nuzzling at it. This was nicer than expected. There was a sense of safety he hadn’t felt before. Theo hoped Liam felt this way when he held him. He closed his eyes and focused on Liam’s scent and heartbeat, happily drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Liam woke up still wrapped around Theo. He focused his hearing to listen to his heartbeat, making sure he was still asleep. He closed his eyes and gently pursed his lips. The lips that were pressed against Theo’s neck. It was small and it wasn’t against his lips, but Liam kissed him. He liked it.

He’d been hoping Theo might make his move at some point the night before. He’d hoped he would on Wednesday night, but no such luck. So he snuck a small one, just for him. He’d hoped it would make waiting for Theo easier, but now he just wanted it more.

Last night had been so silly, but in the best way possible. The plan for dinner was fun. It took a while to go from place to place, but Theo was so adorably giddy the whole time it was worth the wait. He’d never really seen him like that. Just playful and fun. It was like he’d stolen back a piece of his childhood from the Dread Doctors. He hoped he’d get to see that again.

After a while, he could hear the rhythm of Theo’s heart change. He was waking up. He didn’t know why, but he gently nipped at Theo’s neck, barely grazing his teeth along his skin.

“Hey...” Theo whispered.

Theo turned around. but he didn’t let go of his hand. Their fingers stayed firmly laced together. Their faces were inches apart, if that. He kept seeing Theo’s eyes flick down to his lips.

“Morning...” Liam whispered back.

Liam had been trying to figure out a fitting nickname for Theo, but nothing felt right. His name didn’t really lend to anything fun or cute. Raeken. The first thing he thought of was BAEken, but that was just awful. Painfully awful. He’d tried playing off of chimera. It could mean a dream or a fantasy, but those didn’t feel right either. Theodore. Theodore. He didn’t really have anything, until he remembered Theodore could be shortened to Teddy. He was going to try it.

“Teddywolf...” Liam whispered.

Theo grinned, but arched an eyebrow at him too, “What?”

“I think I’m gonna call you my teddywolf...”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Well, you’re a Theodore and Teddy is short for that, but you always make me feel better when you’re around. Like a teddy bear.” Liam felt kind of silly explaining it.

“Ok, fine. I’m good with that.” Theo’s eyes paused on his lips again.

“So, what are we doing today, besides meeting everyone at the mall later... teddywolf?”

Theo smiled when he tacked on the nickname, “Well, there’s something I wanted to go out and get, but other than that, nothing really.”

“This is one of those things you’re not going to tell me again, isn’t it.”

“Yep.” Theo was obviously excited by whatever he had planned.

Liam rolled his eyes and hugged against his chest. If Theo wasn’t going to kiss him, he wanted to at least be closer to him. They still hadn’t let go of each other’s hands.

Theo didn’t let him lay there for very long though. Whatever it was he wanted to get had him too excited to just stay in bed. He was reminding him of how he’d been during last night’s dinner escapades, so he didn’t mind getting out of bed earlier.

They cleaned up and headed out. Liam didn’t expect them to end up at a home improvement store, but that’s where Theo was parking his truck. This time Theo dragged him along by the hand, grabbing one of those flat dolly-like carts as they went in.

When they finally stopped, Liam could see what Theo was so excited about. Their hands parted so Theo could haul the box onto the cart. He was grinning like a madman as he made sure it was centered well. Theo had grabbed a giant trampoline.

“I always wanted one of these.” Theo’s eyes gleamed.

“Looks like fun.” Liam couldn’t help but chuckle at just how much Theo looked like a little kid.

“Right?! Alright, let's get this back so we can set it up.”

Theo dragged him to the checkout and then to the truck. They loaded up the trampoline and were on their way back to Melissa’s. When they got it home, it took the better part of an hour to set it up, but they did it.

It was truly massive. Took up at least half of the backyard. Liam didn’t know they even came this big. He didn’t even have time to really think about it before Theo was already jumping on it.

“Hey... are you... coming?” Theo only spoke at the height of each bounce.

“Yeah.” Liam couldn't help but laugh.

He climbed on and started jumping with him. They bounced around for a while, playfully shoving each other, or alternating their bouncing for more air until Theo grabbed a hold of him and they fell onto the center of it. After a couple residual bounces they laid there on their backs, still laughing.

“Thanks little wolf.” Theo grinned.

“What for?”

“For putting up with my stupid ideas.” Theo looked down at the trampoline.

“You mean your fun ideas?”

“Yeah... I guess.” Theo looked at his lips again.

Liam was having a great time, but he really wished Theo would stop torturing him with those looks. He probably didn’t know he was doing it, but it was so frustrating. Why wouldn’t he just make a move?

* * *

Nolan leaned against Alec’s shoulder as they waited with Corey and Mason for Liam and Theo to show up. The movie started soon and Mason had already reserved their seats online, making sure they were in a row together. He was definitely looking forward to going back to the arcade after, but sitting in the dark theater next to Alec was a close second.

It had already been a pretty good day so far. Alec had come over kind of early and they’d started the day with a few versus matches. They’d stopped at some point to make out for a while before switching to watching the Marvel movies Alec had missed. Of course, they had to rewind a couple times because Alec kept getting them kissing again.

Alec had told him more about how he’d ended up in Beacon Hills. That he was running from hunters and Scott had offered him a place in his pack as long as he was willing to fight when they had to. Nolan reluctantly shared his own history with the supernatural. He started with how he’d helped Liam in the hospital, explaining how he knew helping Scott’s pack was the right thing to do. He had been nervous when he explained the other things he’d done before.

He’d expected Alec to be mad at him, but he wasn’t. He was mad at Monroe, at Gabe, at the anuk-ite, but not him. He really didn’t like Gabe. He hated Monroe, but somehow he hated Gabe more. Nolan wasn’t sure what to think of that, but he was thankful Alec was ok with his past.

Honestly, he was just thankful for Alec in general. He didn’t know what he saw in him, but he was happy for whatever it was. And Alec seemed happy when they were together, so he did his best to stop second guessing it, which wasn’t easy for him.

They finally saw Theo’s truck come through the parking lot and it wasn’t too much longer before Theo walked up with Liam clutching his forearm. Mason tapped an invisible watch as they approached.

“Cutting it close.” Mason playfully scolded them.

“Yeah, yeah. We’re here though.” Theo huffed.

“That’s fair.” Mason shrugged.

“Our seats are already reserved. We did the nice theatre with the two person recliners.”

“Wait, movie theaters have recliners?” Theo’s brow crinkled.

“Yeah, for at least the last couple years, where have you been?” Alec asked.

“Living in a sewer. Then I was trapped in hell for a while.” Theo said with a straight face.

“Theo.” Liam was giving Theo a look that Nolan guessed meant he should stop messing with them, before Theo’s face cracked and he laughed it off.

“Thanks for springing for the nice theater. I can help with the time cards at the arcade.” Nolan offered.

“Sounds good to me.” Mason nodded.

“What are we seeing anyways?”

“Since a bunch of you guys are gamers, we thought we’d do that new video game movie.” Corey grinned.

Nolan saw Alec and Liam feigning excitement. They were terrible at it. Video game movies just usually didn’t hit the mark. It was different watching something, versus playing it.

They headed into the theater. Since Mason and Corey had bought the tickets, Theo offered to pay for their concessions, which they took advantage of. Alec suggested they share a large popcorn and drink combo. Nolan didn’t really think he’d be eating much popcorn, but he went along with it.

After everyone had gotten their snacks, they filled in their seats in the theater. Mason and Corey took the middle seats with Liam and Theo taking the left side and he and Alec took the right. Right away, Alec grabbed his hand and grinned at him. Alec nodded down the row and he followed his gaze to the other two couples doing the same thing. The whole experience was kind of surreal. A month ago, Nolan wouldn’t have guessed he’d be on a triple date that involved werewolves, but here he was snuggling against his own wolfboy.

Nolan kind of liked the idea that Alec was a werewolf. In the past he would have been terrified, but Alec made him feel safe. There was always a gentleness to his strength that was comforting.

The movie was ok, Nothing special, but he was still going to save the ticket stub. It was an experience that deserved to be remembered. Even if it had been good, he wouldn’t have noticed. He was more focused on snuggling with Alec than anything else.

When they all left, Nolan got the weirdest feeling that they were being followed, but when he looked around, he didn’t see anything or anyone that seemed suspicious. They got out to their cars and realized they’d all parked kind of close together. Something they laughed about before the sound of shattering glass rang through the air.

* * *

Theo turned to the noise. The window on a nearby car was in pieces. This time he heard the sound that came before the shattering of glass. The soft whistle of a crossbow bolt flying through the air. This one didn’t end with the sound of shattering glass. It ended with a sickening crunch as it hit bone.

It was close, but Theo didn’t feel any pain. He hadn’t been hit. When he saw who had, he was furious. The bolt was sticking halfway out of the lower part of Liam’s ribcage.

He focused his strength scanning the parking lot to see where the shots had come from. Two men several cars away were using the hood of a vehicle to balance their crossbows. He charged after them, eyes gleaming in the night. He felt someone charging beside him and he caught Alec’s scent without looking. His eyes were locked on his target.

Two more shots fired, he and Alec weaved around them as they pierced into the sides of nearby cars. He saw the panic set into their eyes when they missed. He wanted to rip out those eyes or maybe their throats or maybe both. He knew he was going to have to settle for less. Liam wasn't going to be ok with the kind of violence he wanted to commit.

He caught up to them just as they were turning around to run. He jumped and let his foot come down on the side of one of their knees, enjoying the sound of the crunch as it shattered. Alec had caught the other one and was swinging him towards his buddy. Theo helped shove their heads together and the two hunters crumpled to the ground. He scanned the parking lot and sniffed the air, but didn’t see any other threats.

As his instinct faded, he started to wonder why Liam hadn’t caught up to them. When he looked back, he didn’t see any of the rest of the pack or Nolan. He left Alec with the unconscious hunters and dashed back to his truck. When he got close, the four that were missing reappeared. Corey had hidden them. Good.

Then he saw how weak Liam looked. Nolan and Mason were holding him up, he couldn’t even stand on his own. He looked at all of them for answers and was met with nothing but confusion and concern.

“What do we do?” Nolan was the first to talk and was completely freaked out.

“We need to get out of here.” Theo grunted.

“But what about Liam?” Mason asked.

“Give him to me, I’ll take him to Melissa’s. Meet us there. ASAP.”

He lifted Liam into his arms. He wanted to take his pain so badly, but he needed to be able to drive. He’d do it as soon as they got there.

“Open the passenger door.” Theo commanded.

Corey was the one to open it. He set Liam in the seat. His hands were shaking the entire time he buckled him in. He was so panicked about Liam being hurt he couldn’t remember if taking out the bolt would be good or bad, so he left it in until they could ask Melissa.

As he went around and got in the driver’s seat he could hear Mason telling Nolan to follow him to Melissa’s and Alec wondering if they should do anything about the hunters lying on the asphalt. He’d let them figure that out. He needed to make sure Liam would be ok.

He fired up the engine and used the bluetooth in his truck to call Melissa as he drove. He considered a small detour to run over the hunters, but took the fastest route instead. The first call went to voicemail.

“Come on, come on, come on...” Theo muttered as he started the second attempt.

A couple rings in and Melissa answered, “Hello?”

“Melissa! Liam’s been shot with a crossbow bolt and we’re on the way back to the house!”

“Did you take it out?”   
“No, should I?” Theo was really questioning whether he did the right thing by leaving it in.

“No.”

Melissa’s answer was a small relief. They still needed to fix whatever was happening to Liam, but at least he hadn’t fucked up already. He didn’t know what else to do but speed back to Melissa’s.

“Are you home? You’re home right?” Theo was starting to panic.

“Yes, I’m home. I’m going to prep some stuff before you get here. Just make sure he doesn’t fall asleep.”

Theo wanted her to stay on the phone with him, but if she needed to prepare something for Liam, he’d let her go. The call ended and he could see Liam drooping forward a bit in his peripheral.

“No, little wolf. She said to stay awake!”

Theo reached over to raise Liam’s head and shake it a little. Liam grunted in pain as he did, but he’d apologize later. Right now, Theo was trying to save his life.

A couple minutes later and he pulled into the driveway. He went around and unhooked Liam’s seatbelt and started lifting him out of the seat as the other two cars showed up. As he carried Liam to the door, Melissa opened it to let them in.

She’d cleared off the kitchen island and told him to set Liam down on it. He could see she had gloves on and what looked like a small surgical kit nearby as well. She told Theo to roll Liam on his side as she inspected the damage.

Melissa checked Liam’s back, “It didn’t punch through. This is going to hurt.”

“What’s going to hurt?” Theo asked.

“This.”

Melissa pushed the bolt through Liam’s back. He screamed out as it happened. She dropped the bloody bolt into the sink and started looking at the wound. She rolled Liam onto his back and tore open his shirt to expose tendrils of blackish blue streaming out across his skin from where the bolt had hit him.

“Can I take his pain?” Theo begged.

“Not yet.” Melissa commanded.

She held a big needle aloft, squeezing the plunger until a small amount of the green liquid came out. She used a hand to put pressure on some of Liam’s skin.

“You’re going to want to distract him for this.” She readied the needle.

“What? Distract him? How?” Theo was starting to panic.

“I’m sure you’ll think of something. This is going to hurt. A lot.” Melissa plunged the needle in, injecting the strange green fluid into Liam.

Liam started to wince and Theo held his head in his hands. He tried to focus, to take his pain, but he was too panicked. Liam started to whine and he couldn’t take it, he didn’t want to hear him crying and especially not from pain.

Theo did the only thing he thought might let him focus. If Liam was mad about it later, then they’d fight, but now he needed his pain to stop. So he did something he’d been wanting to do all day.

He planted his lips on Liam’s, finally feeling their softness against his. His world became nothing but that feeling, nothing but the taste of those adorable, sweet lips. In that moment of clarity he started to channel Liam’s pain through both of the hands that held his face. He took as much as he could. He felt Liam relax in his grip.

Then Liam started kissing him back. Theo put everything he had into that kiss, trying to distract himself from the pain he’d taken on, to distract Liam from the pain that was left. His hands slid, tangling his fingers in Liam’s hair. He felt Liam’s hands pulling him down, deeper into the kiss. Liam had consumed his senses. In that moment, he was everything, they were the only two people in the universe.

The kiss felt like it went on for hours. He’d taken a risk and now was enjoying his reward. A reward he was looking forward to getting more of, much much more of. He broke the kiss to check on Liam’s wounds. The tendrils were gone and the hole was closing up.

He looked back to Liam. There was a look of need in his eyes, a look he knew was reflected in his own. They needed each other. Truly needed each other. Without Liam, Theo would be hopelessly lost and he got the feeling from the gorgeous pale blue eyes staring back at him, that Liam would be lost too.

He kissed him again. This time it wasn’t a kiss of necessity. It was a kiss to let Liam know he wanted him, he wanted them. He clutched onto him, he felt Liam’s desperation for that kiss, his little wolf almost biting into it.

He pulled back again. Both of their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath. Liam smiled at him, a perfect content smile. And then Theo blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is. Hope it was worth the wait. <3  
> Still a few more chapters to go!
> 
> Bonus info! The current title is inspired by the Alec Benjamin song 'Demons'


	20. Feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays?  
> Hope an update counts as a gift.  
> <3

Nolan stared at Theo. Liam had brought him to the couch and was sitting with Theo’s head in his lap. Theo hadn’t woken up since he’d kissed Liam. It was like some bizarre reverse Sleeping Beauty. Liam hadn’t spoken to them either, he’d just sent a text on his phone and sat with Theo.

He didn’t really know how to feel now. Just a couple hours ago he was happy and safe with Alec, but now being with a werewolf was scary again. They’d been shot at and instead of running away, Alec had charged into the fight. What if he’d been shot like Liam? He knew Alec could sense his fear, because he’d been incredibly cautious with him. He really wanted sitting with him now to be a comfort, but he couldn’t stop worrying about the next crossbow bolt.

Nolan got up and walked out of the living room. He couldn’t see Liam like that anymore. Corey and Mason glanced up as he left, but quickly turned their attention back to Liam. Even Mason’s normally jovial nature had been shaken and Nolan hadn’t thought that was possible. He wondered if Mason felt as powerless as he did.

“Hey.” Alec grabbed his arm as he got into the kitchen.

Nolan wiped the wetness from his eyes. He’d been on the edge of tears since the attack. The shock of everything had been the only thing keeping them back, but now reality was setting in and the dam was about to burst. He didn’t want Alec to see his face, so he looked at their feet as he turned towards him.

“Oh, baby. No...” Alec whispered, pulling him close.

Nolan buried his face in his shoulder and the tears finally started. They began slowly, but eventually he was shaking with every sob in Alec’s arms. He gulped for air in forced gasps that he knew the rest of the house could hear as Alec held him.

“Hey, you’re ok. We’re ok.” Alec was trying to comfort him.

Nolan sniffled, “Theo’s not ok.”

Alec didn’t say anything. How could he? None of them knew what was happening to him. Melissa had checked him over, he was alive, but as far she could tell there wasn’t any reason he wasn’t waking up.

“What if it was you?” Nolan whispered.

“Melissa would have saved me too.” Alec said with confidence.

He was right, but Nolan didn’t like it. He didn’t want to think about him getting hurt. This ‘werewolf stuff’ was worse if you were in the middle of it. He’d seen what Monroe’s people were capable of when he’d been pressured into being in her army. He hated the idea of that being directed at his friends, at his boyfriend. It wasn’t just an idea now. It was really happening.

“I don’t want you to need saving.” Nolan clutched onto him.

Alec let out a deep breath, “I’m sorry.”

“Why does it have to be like this?” Nolan wasn’t really asking Alec.

“We have to fight. She’s trying to hunt us all down. She wants to kill us.”

“I know what kind of monster Monroe is, that’s what scares me.”

“Then you know we can’t just stand aside.”

He hated that he was right. The only thing that had driven her out of Beacon Hills before was when she’d lost the fight. Scott and his pack had been too strong for her, but they weren’t here to stop her now.

“I don’t know what to do.” Nolan felt useless.

“You can be here for me.” That was the first time Alec’s voice had sounded less than confident.

“But I’m just human.”

“And so is Mason.”

That was true. Mason was in the middle of this too, boyfriends with a supernatural just like he was. He was going to have to figure out how he could stand it, watching his friends and his boyfriend in danger.

Nolan was sick of thinking about all of this, “So much for the arcade, huh?” he tried to joke.

Alec chuckled, “Yeah, I guess you won’t be getting that air hockey rematch.”

“You know I suck at air hockey.”

“Which is why you need the practice.” Alec kissed the side of his head.

“You know I only play because you like it.” Nolan finally pulled his face out of Alec’s shoulder.

“I know.” Alec let his forehead rest against Nolan’s, “I like watching you get better at it.”

“I hope I get better at this.” he just couldn’t keep it out of his head.

Alec brushed their noses together, “You’re better than you think.”

Nolan wasn’t sure that was true, but Alec clearly saw things in him he couldn’t see himself. He decided to accept it. Alec hadn’t lied to him, why would he start with that? Nolan kissed him, a slow kiss, because Alec’s kisses made him feel better.

When he pulled away, Alec encouraged him to take a seat at the kitchen island. As he sat there watching Alec go through the cabinets looking for something, there was a knock on the door. He didn’t know if he should answer it, but it didn’t matter. Liam came from the living room and opened it.

* * *

“Just tell me what’s wrong with him.” Liam pleaded.

Deaton sighed, “Theo’s a chimera, unfortunately any knowledge about him died with the Dread Doctors.”

“You have to know something!” Liam shouted.

“I’m sorry Liam, I would just be guessing.”

“Then guess!” He didn’t want to be this angry, but it was Theo.

“Tell me again what happened.”

“He, uh, he kissed me.” Liam was suddenly worried, “Did I do this? This is my fault isn’t it. He’s like this because he kissed me.” He started to shake.

“Liam,” Mason was trying to get his attention, “He didn’t just kiss you. He took your pain. Like, a lot of it.”

“Oh, god. It is my fault.” Liam looked at the ground.

“Mason, are you sure?” Deaton asked.

“Yeah.” Mason nodded.

“In that case, he might be lucky to be alive.” Deaton shook his head, “Taking pain has its risks. Alphas have lost their spark and some have lost their lives trying to take too much.”

“What do I do?” Liam begged.

“I don’t know. Chimeras are outside the normal rules. Any advice I give could harm just as much as it could help.”

“Then get out!” Liam yelled, rage swelling inside him.

Mason came over to him, “Liam, he’s trying to help.”

“You too! All of you!” Liam felt the glow in his eyes, the anger rising, “If you can’t do anything, just get out!”

“Liam!” Melissa was using her angry mom voice.

She’d been quietly keeping an eye on things, on them. In a way it was kind of nice. He didn’t really feel alone trying to deal with all this. And she was at least able to let him know that Theo was stable. Now he’d just pissed her off, and in her own home.

“Fine. I’ll leave.”

His glow faded, but not his anger. He picked up Theo and carried him up the stairs, shrugging off Mason’s hand as he tried to grab his shoulder. He didn’t want to see their patronizing glares. He knew this was his fault and now there was no way out of it. Nothing he could do to help. Nothing anyone could do.

That kiss. That stupid wonderful amazing kiss. He must have let it go too long. If he’d have just let it be quick, but no he’d wanted it too much. And now he was paying for it.

He stepped into Theo’s room and kicked the door shut behind him, letting it slam. He laid Theo on the bed and stared down at him, watching his chest rise and fall. Hoping that with the next breath he’d open his eyes and this would all be over. But that didn’t happen.

He wanted to crawl in the bed and curl up with Theo, but he wouldn’t let himself. Why should he get any comfort when this was his fault? So he sat on the floor beside the bed, listening to Theo’s shallow breaths and slow heartbeat.

There was a light knock on the door before Mason spoke, “Liam?”

“I said go away!” He was still so mad at himself.

But that was what it was, he was mad at himself. Why was he yelling at everyone else? Scott’s voice hit him then, asking him not to push away his friends, his pack. And he had one more thing to be mad at himself about.

He was supposed to be leading them, especially now, but instead he had shut them out. He and Theo weren’t the only ones who were attacked, they all were. Instead of rallying them and preparing for what came next he was sulking and screaming at them. He needed to do better.

Liam shouted when he heard his friend walking away from the door, “Wait! Mason, stop!”

He pulled himself up off the floor and went to the door. He was still angry, but he choked it back as much as he could manage, still seething when he pulled the door open. Mason looked so disheartened.

“I know you know we’re trying to help, man.” Mason couldn’t look him in the eye.

“I know.” Liam snarled at himself.

“I would probably be just as freaked out if it was Corey, but we need you right now.” Mason looked up and he could see the hurt in his eyes.

“I don’t know what to do, Mase. How am I supposed to be there for you guys, lead you, when I have no idea what I’m doing?”

“Scott didn’t always know what to do, but he listened to his friends.” Mason shrugged.

“Then what do I do Mase? How do I fix this? How do I get Theo back?”

Liam’s anger was subsiding, but it was just making room for his heartache. Theo was right, he did always get angry when he was afraid and his friends had paid the price for it. He shouldn’t have yelled, but he was so terrified of losing Theo that it had filled him with a fury that his pack didn’t deserve the brunt of.

Mason stepped forward and hugged him, “I don’t know, but it’s not your fault, ok?”

Liam was already starting to cry, “Yes it is. He’s like that because of my pain.”

“No, dude, no.” Mason sighed, “He made the choice to do that. You can’t put that on yourself.”

“Then what am I supposed to--”

“Wait!” Mason started pushing him into the room, “That’s it.”

“Huh? What’s it?” Liam almost stumbled.

“You need to put it on yourself.” Mason seemed to think that meant something.

Liam just looked at his best friend with confusion, “Mase, I don’t--”

“You need to take some of your pain back.” Mason almost shoved him towards the bed.

“I-- What? Are you sure?” Liam sputtered.

“No, but it’s worth a shot, right?”

It was definitely better than doing nothing. Liam carefully sat down on the bed next to Theo and took his forearm in his hands. Even in this messed up situation Liam felt some comfort holding onto him there. He closed his eyes and focused on Theo. His heartbeat, his breathing, his warmth, and he felt the sharp tinge start tracing up his arms. The burning intensity he’d felt after Melissa had injected him started to return.

He could only take a little before the pain ruined his focus, but he could already tell Theo’s pulse was stronger. It was working. More tears came, but this time he laughed through them.

“Thank you, Mase.” He managed to get out.

Mason’s excitement was audible, “Wait?! Is it working? Really?”

Liam nodded, “Yeah. Can you-- No, I need to apologize myself.” Liam couldn’t send Mason to do it for him as much as he wanted to, “Let them know I’ll be down soon?”

“Sure.” Mason nodded and crept out of the room, quietly shutting the door.

The very edge of the burning sensation had begun to fade, but Liam knew it was going to get a lot worse before it got better. He fought with himself to focus on Theo’s warmth, the softness of his skin under his hands. He was able to take some more pain before his focus broke again, leaving Theo’s pulse and breathing even stronger.

He’d really hoped Theo would wake up, that he could look into those steel blue eyes before he had to find the courage to apologize to his pack. He’d have to do it on just hope. He winced as he brushed Theo’s cheek with his thumb, the motion triggering a small spike of pain. He leaned down and kissed Theo on the forehead. Another stolen kiss. He really hoped he would be kissing him back again soon.

* * *

Theo squinted, his eyes barely opened. His body felt like it was on fire. With what little he could see, he figured out that he was in his room. He felt around himself and he knew he was laying on his bed, but he didn’t remember how he’d gotten here.

The last thing he remembered he was in the kitchen with Liam. He’d tried to take Liam’s pain, but there was so much more than the wolfsbane during the supermoon. Then he remembered the kiss. It made all the pain worth it just thinking about it. He’d finally kissed Liam and Liam had kissed him back. He wanted to do it again.

He struggled to a sitting position, pain throbbing in his veins. He focused on his breathing and tried to do what he could to suppress the agony that was soaked into every inch of his body. He needed to make sure Liam was ok. He remembered the wound closing, but not him getting up off the table.

He hauled his legs over the edge of the bed. Every part of him felt heavy. Next he braced himself using the headboard and tried pulling himself to his feet. Partway up and he couldn’t handle the pain of it, falling back onto the bed and almost knocking his head against the wall in the process.

Shit. There had to be something he could do to find out what happened. Then he felt his phone in his pocket pressing into his thigh. He pulled it out and tapped out a message to Melissa, because he knew if he sent one to Liam and didn’t get a response he would go insane.

_ Is Liam ok? _

It was oddly stressful typing out the small message. Even the light buzzing of the phone against his fingers that confirmed each press hurt. He almost wondered if he’d be able to lift it again to unlock it when the response came. There was no response though, Melissa couldn’t have possibly had a chance to send one before Liam was already rushing back into the room.

Before Theo could say anything, Liam was hugging onto him. If it didn’t hurt so much, he would have been hugging him back. Unfortunately, the pain was ruining the moment.

“Liam,” Theo struggled to say, “Ow...”

“Don’t you ever do that again!” Liam yelled, still clinging to him.

Theo winced and grunted in pain, flinching in Liam’s arms, “It hurts...”

Liam finally realized what he was doing, “Damn, sorry...”

Liam carefully set him back on the bed. He brushed some of Theo’s hair away from his forehead and rested his hand on the side of his face, closing his eyes and focusing. Some of Theo’s pain melted away into Liam’s palm and he could see the dark veins trace up his little wolf’s arms.

It was enough that it let him speak easier, “Hey, little wolf. You’re ok.”

“And you’re a jerk.” Liam glared at him.

He was so cute when he was mad, “Most of the time.”

“Not funny.”

“So, you didn’t like it?” Theo whispered.

“What?” Liam’s face crinkled with confusion.

Theo didn’t answer him. Instead, he reached up and touched Liam’s lip with his thumb, gently pulling down on it. It felt just as soft as he remembered. He could see the understanding hit Liam as the anger and confusion washed away, the edges of his lips curling down just a little.

“I was wondering if you even wanted to.” Liam’s words tugged his lip out from under Theo’s thumb and his tone mirrored the lost puppy look on his face.

Theo stared at those lips, “I didn’t want to scare you.”

Liam raised his eyebrows, “Because that worked out so well.”

“Yeah...” Theo looked away.

He thought about how worried he was when he woke up in the bed. Liam must have been just as worried when he passed out, maybe more. He was glad he hadn’t made the wrong choice in kissing him, but he was definitely going to have to be more careful if he ever needed to take his pain again.

While he was lost in thought Liam must have leaned down, because he felt his lips again. Not on his thumb, but pressed to his. He couldn’t help himself. He was kissing him back, their lips playing at one another, mingling just enough that they caught each other’s breath.

“Oh, uh, sorry.” Mason’s voice came from the doorway.

Liam kissed him just a moment longer before pulling away, “Is he done?”

“I’m not.” Theo grinned up at him.

Mason’s eyes were looking anywhere but at them, “Yeah.”

Liam turned to Mason, “We’ll be down in a minute.”

“Ok...” Mason disappeared from the doorway.

Theo thought Liam was leaning down to kiss him again, but instead he started helping him sit up. Damn. He let his little wolf get him to his feet and support him as they headed downstairs. In the living room Deaton was looking over what must have been the crossbow bolt that struck Liam, except it was inside a large plastic storage bag like it was a piece of evidence.

“This isn’t good.” Deaton said, placing the bolt back on the coffee table.

Corey and Mason scooted to the end of the couch so that Liam could set Theo down and sit beside him. Melissa nodded to him and he could see the relief on her face. And he saw that Alec was holding Nolan who looked worried.

Deaton continued, “It looks like we’re dealing with a hybrid. I’d heard of attempts before, but never seen anything successful.”

“Hybrid?” Liam asked.

“This wolfsbane. It’s been crossbred with another plant to speed up its effects.”

“Yeah, that definitely doesn’t sound good.” Corey muttered.

“I’ll have to examine this further back at the clinic to determine what we’re dealing with, but from everything you’ve told me, I don’t think it could be anything else.”

“Thank you for coming.” Liam looked down, “Sorry again for yelling at you.”

Deaton nodded his acknowledgement and picked the bag back up off the coffee table, “I’ll let you know as soon as I figure out exactly what this is.”

Deaton left with the bolt. The room was quiet for a while. Melissa disappeared into the kitchen and eventually came back with a plate stacked with sandwiches. Seeing the food made Theo aware that some of the pain he was experiencing was the dull ache of hunger. It had been a while since he’d felt that. They all took the sandwiches and used eating as another excuse to avoid talking, but eventually the silence would have to break.

* * *

“Wait, what? No, I can’t do that.” Nolan couldn’t believe what they were asking him to do

“Corey, can make sure you aren’t spotted.” Liam turned to Corey, “Right?”

Corey nodded, “Yeah.”

Nolan still didn’t like it, “Yeah, but what if we get caught? They knew about him before, I doubt they forgot.”

“The rest of us will back you up.” Liam gestured to Theo, Mason and Alec.

“You know I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Alec still had an arm around him.

“Can’t I just tell you where they are?” Nolan was raising his voice.

“You’ve been inside,” Liam said, “You know them better than any of us.”

Liam wasn’t wrong. Monroe had shown him the hideouts her hunters had used while she was trying to convince him to do her bidding. Now, he was actually in the middle of all the ‘werewolf stuff’ and he really, really didn’t like it. He knew they were relying on him. More importantly, Alec was relying on him and staring at him expectantly.

Nolan couldn’t say no to those beautiful brown eyes, “Fine. When are we doing this?”

“Tomorrow.” Liam answered.

“Tomorrow?!” Nolan definitely hadn’t expected that.

“The sooner we can get started, the better off we’ll be.” Liam nodded, “Also, no one travels alone from here on out. Got it?”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Nolan didn’t need an excuse to spend more time with Alec. They’d pretty much spent the whole last week together anyway, only really being apart when they were asleep.

“Alright,” Melissa came back into the living room, “I’ve called all your parents. They all know you’re staying here tonight.”

“Thank you.” Liam said.

“There’s an air mattress and Scott’s old mattress you can set up down here. I’m going to bed.” Melissa didn’t wait for a response before heading upstairs.

They moved the furniture out of the way and Liam found and dragged in both of the mattresses she’d mentioned. Alec volunteered to take the air mattress with Nolan, leaving Scott’s old bed for Corey and Mason. He didn’t understand why, but he didn’t care. He was actually going to get sleep with Alec tonight. Not just a nap. Actually spending the night with his boyfriend.

Once everything was situated, Liam helped Theo back upstairs, though it seemed like he was already doing better. Corey and Mason settled into their bed on the other side of the couch. He could hear them whispering to each other, but it wasn’t the kind of whispers that made you worry, just like they were trying to keep quiet. Which left him and Alec laying together.

“Hey, thank you for helping us.” Alec gently brushed his cheek with the back of his fingers.

Nolan offered a weak smile, “I guess it’s something.”

The more he thought about it, the better he felt. This really was something that he could offer. Something to help. Something that kept him from being useless.

“It’s more than something. This isn’t even your fight.” Alec’s fingers traced the skin along the top of his collar.

“Yes it is.” Nolan insisted, “If it’s your fight, it’s mine too.”

Alec sighed and looked into his eyes, “I meant what I said. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

There wasn’t anything Nolan trusted more than those dark eyes, “I know.”

Alec leaned forward, playfully biting at Nolan’s lip before sinking into a kiss. They made out for a while enjoying the relative privacy of the couch that sat between them and Mason and Corey. When they finally got tired, Alec laid on his back and Nolan let his head rest on his chest, sliding his hand along the skin of Alec’s stomach just under the bottom of his shirt. His exhaustion from the events of the evening set in and he drifted off to sleep, still excited to wake up the same way, but less excited for what would come after.

* * *

Liam had been taking Theo’s pain whenever he could throughout the night. Theo had still needed some help getting up the stairs, but when they got to his room and he shut the door behind them, he had no qualms pushing Theo down onto the bed. He straddled Theo’s lap and grabbed the back of his head. This time they were going to do it right.

When their lips met it was almost electric. The kiss was slow and sweet at first, their lips parting only a little, but Liam wanted more now that he knew Theo wanted it too. He let his tongue graze the inside of Theo’s mouth, and it wasn’t long before Theo’s tongue started exploring too. The kiss intensified and their tongues wrestled. Theo had an arm wrapped around Liam’s waist and his other hand was holding the back of Liam’s head, fingers in his hair as they finally truly made out.

When Liam pulled away it was only because he needed to breathe. He gasped for air, grinning the whole time. Theo was in a similar state, staring at Liam, eyes still occasionally looking down to his lips.

Now that they’d stopped, Liam was forced to process something he hadn’t wanted to think about in the moment. Every part of him had been into that kiss. Every part. And apparently Theo felt the same way. He still wasn’t sure about that aspect of their relationship. He didn’t hate how it felt, but he didn’t know if he was ready for more than kissing yet.

“So, you did like it.” Theo chuckled.

Liam felt completely exhausted, but he had almost caught his breath, “Definitely.”

Theo fell back onto the bed now that Liam wasn’t holding the back of his head, “A guy could get addicted to that, little wolf.”

Liam whined, “I hate that I’m tired.”

“Aww, you poor thing. Not enough energy left to go again?”

“I don’t know if I have enough left to get ready for bed.”

“Let’s at least try.” Theo smiled up at him.

This time it was Theo who supported him as they went to the bathroom for their nightly routine. He made it through, but Theo had to help him take off his shirt and pants for bed. When they curled up together, it felt different this time. Liam noticed every inch of Theo, all the skin that made contact, all of the muscles that held him. Tonight it wasn’t comfort that he felt the most, desire had started to take over.

He laid there with these new feelings, Theo’s heartbeat in his ear, his scent in his nose, thinking about the way his lips had tasted, even how Theo pressed back against him. He left tomorrow’s problems for the morning. Tonight he was going to enjoy every moment, every sensation of being with his boyfriend, his teddywolf.


	21. Returning Threats

Theo woke up before Liam. He was feeling much better this morning, the aches and burning from the night before having finally faded completely. Even without the pain gone, he would have felt better. So much of the tension between them was gone now. He was finally free to be as affectionate as he wanted to be with Liam.

He stared down at the top of Liam’s head, mind on the kiss from the night before. He chuckled to himself when he remembered Liam pouting about being tired right afterward. Then the way he’d clung to him last night had been different too. It felt like Liam was really enjoying the way their bodies felt, not just enjoying being close.

That was something he wasn’t going to rush Liam into, but he would make sure Liam knew it was something he wanted. The way he’d sounded when he said he didn’t know if Theo was even interested in kissing him made his heart hurt a little. He never wanted him to wonder about how he felt again.

Liam slept peacefully on his chest for a while longer. When he listened through the house, the others hadn't woken up yet either. Part of him didn’t want to disturb Liam, but another part of him wanted some extra private time before they would end up downstairs planning how to take their fight to the hunters that had returned to Beacon Hills.

He decided to be selfish, lifting Liam’s chin off his chest and sliding down the bed to bring their faces closer. He brought their mouths together and Liam was already stirring. Their lips and tongues mingled and he wondered if Liam knew he was grinding against his thigh. They were definitely going to have to talk.

Theo finally stopped to breathe, “Morning.”

“Morning.” Liam said between breaths.

Liam pulled his hips away from Theo, his cheeks were red and was staring down at Theo’s chest. If he hadn’t known before he’d definitely realized it then. Theo grabbed his waist and pulled them back together and Liam let out a little squeak.

“It’s ok. I don’t mind.” He lifted Liam’s chin again, waiting until those pale blue eyes met his, “I like it.”

“Are you sure?” Liam looked so lost.

“Yes, little wolf.” He let his hand slide up to hold Liam’s cheek.

“I... don’t think I’m ready... for that.” Liam’s eyes slid back down his chest.

Theo kissed his forehead, “That’s ok.” He let those words sink in before he added, “Just know that I’m ready when you are.”

“Ok.” Liam’s word was a whisper.

Theo brushed their noses together and Liam leaned up for another kiss. They tangled for a while longer, this time Liam let his hand rub over the muscles of Theo’s chest. It was small, but a reassuring sign that he was letting himself be more comfortable with how their relationship was changing.

“Alright, time to make our guests some breakfast.” Theo whispered.

Liam let his hand slide down to Theo’s waist, “Can't we stay in bed a little longer?”

Fuck it. This was the last day of their weekend and there was no guarantee that Dr. Geyer would agree to let him stay the night again tonight. Instead of cooking he could take them all out for breakfast.

“Sure, little wolf.” Theo nosed at Liam’s neck.

Liam squeaked again. Theo couldn’t help but laugh a little, the noise was too adorable. He followed that by kissing at Liam's neck and ever so slightly suckling at the soft skin.

Liam squirmed a little but didn't try to pull away. Instead, his hand went to the back of Theo’s head and pulled him in closer. Theo was tempted to leave a mark, he’d always wanted to give someone a hickey, but a knock on the door interrupted him.

“Liam?” It was Mason again.

“Hold on a mi--” Liam squeaked again as Theo nipped at his earlobe, “minute Mase.”

“Uh, ok.” Mason definitely sounded like he knew he was intruding, “We’ll just be downstairs.”

“Damn, I guess we have to get up.” Liam sighed.

Theo grinned, “Beacon Hills does need its alpha.”

Liam frowned, “I don’t deserve to be called that.”

“Liam,” Theo tucked a few stray strands of Liam’s hair behind his ear, “you deserve a lot more than that. Regardless, your friends and your pack need you. You’ve been in this fight the longest. They look up to you.”

Liam bit his lip, looking into Theo’s eyes, “I wish I could do that.”

“Do what?”

“See me the way you do.”

“It’s pretty easy.”

Liam’s eyes trailed away, “Not for me.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve already forgotten everything you did fighting the Wild Hunt or the anuk-ite and the hunters.”

“I didn’t really do anything, Scott’s the one who beat them.”

Theo moved so he caught Liam’s eyes again, “You think Scott could have done anything without you? You’re the one who lured the Ghost Riders away from him. You saved your friends from them. Scott didn’t do that. He wasn’t even there at the hospital. You fought your way out of a trap. Those hunters had every advantage, but you still beat them. How can you say you didn’t do anything?”

Liam furrowed his brow and sat up, looking down at Theo, “I didn’t though. We did all that. You were there for all of it.”

“And I’m not going anywhere now. I might not be a part of your pack,” Just saying that frustrated Theo, “but I’m here for you. I’m going to keep being here for you.”

Liam smiled, “Thank you.”

“Come on then. Go be an alpha, little wolf.”

* * *

Nolan scooted into the round booth beside Alec. They were in the middle and the other two couples were at the ends. Their waitress was familiar, he was pretty sure she waited on him and Liam when they’d come here before. She went around the table taking their drink orders and he couldn’t help but smile a little when Alec ordered chocolate milk before he could order one for himself. Once they’d gotten their drinks and ordered their breakfasts they started talking about what came next.

“I only really know about a couple of places.” Nolan shrugged.

“That’s better than nothing.” Liam seemed to be in a pretty good mood, “You said you remember where they are, right?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

Nolan had always been the one driving. Gabe had a car, but he always made Nolan take him places. Now that he had some real friends, he was starting to realize just what kind of person Gabe had been. Those memories were starting to frustrate him. He laced his fingers with Alec’s under the table and it helped him feel a little better.

Liam looked around the table at everyone, “So, you’ll check them with Corey. He’ll keep you both hidden. If something happens, we’ll be outside listening. You just need to tell us and we’ll go in after you. Got it?”

They all signaled their agreement. Alec caught Nolan’s eyes and gave him an extra nod and squeezed his hand. He really did know how to make him feel better.

Alec whispered, “You’ll be fine.”

He was really starting to feel like he would be. Being able to go in literally invisible felt like a huge advantage. That and he’d seen Alec, Liam and Theo fight now. He had no doubt they could handle some hunters.

The food arrived shortly after that and they talked about pretty much everything except what they were about to do when they left. Nolan sat back and soaked things in towards the end of the meal. He thought Mason and Corey were quite the cute couple. Mason always seemed to have a joke ready to go, while Corey did what he could to keep him on track and generally had some pretty good advice to offer.

Then there was Liam and Theo. They seemed different today somehow. He hadn’t really seen them much, honestly. He hadn’t wanted to see Liam with someone else, but now that Nolan had Alec he was actually happy for Liam. It was pretty obvious Theo cared for him, even if he was generally kind of a dick. And Liam must have been a good influence, because even though Theo was snarky and sarcastic he’d been the one to offer to drive and even spring for the bill.

Liam seemed so happy with Theo. Nolan was actually kind of glad he hadn’t gotten in the way of that. He thought about how happy he’d been since Alec had relentlessly flirted his way into his life and couldn’t imagine where he’d be if he’d missed out on that. He definitely appreciated Alec and he hoped Liam and Theo had something like that. He knew Mason and Corey did.

He let his thoughts drift away from the table to remember last night. He’d gotten to sleep with his boyfriend. It was the first time he’d ever gotten to wake up next to Alec and there was something almost magical about it. Especially since he’d woken up first and gotten to spend some time watching Alec sleep.

He’d looked so peaceful. His chest slowly rising and falling, The curls of his hair a mess around his head. Even in his sleep Alec was sweet and caring. Nolan had scooted back close again after watching him for a while and was quickly pulled into a hug and snuggles. He fell back asleep like that, waking up again later to the tickle of Alec’s curls on his forehead and the softness of their lips coming together. He couldn’t have asked for a better way to start what was going to be an intensely stressful day.

Alec nudged him, pulling him out of his daydream and gestured to the end of the booth where both of the other couples stood waiting for them. He scooted out and nodded to Liam, then they piled into Theo’s truck. Theo drove and Liam rode shotgun, with Mason, Corey, Alec and himself all squeezed into the back. 

The first hideout was a bust. Where there used to be a building there was just an empty lot now. It must have been demolished in the past couple of months. There was only really one other place Nolan knew of and it was barely in Beacon Hills.

As they got to the edge of town Nolan leaned forward and guided Theo close to where the other hideout was. They made sure to park far away from it. He climbed out of the car and into the open air, stretching after being cramped in with the others in the back seat.

He was nervous again. They were actually going to do this. Alec must have seen it on him, because he came over and hugged him.

“You’re gonna be fine. We’ve all got your back.” Alec whispered into his ear.

“I’m still scared.” Nolan admitted.

“They won’t even know you’re there.”

“Ok.”

Alec kissed him, a soft reassuring kiss. It helped calm his nerves a little, but he was still going to have to fight back his fear. Alec nodded to him. He seemed so sure he could do it and he really didn’t want to let him down.

When he looked over, Mason was hugging Corey. Somehow he hadn’t thought this all still might be scary for them. They’d been through so much, but were still afraid. He didn’t know why, but that made him feel better too. When Corey pulled away from the hug they all formed a loose circle.

“Alright, ready?” Liam nodded, but he looked concerned.

“Yeah.” Corey answered and looked at Nolan.

“Uh, yeah.” Nolan slowly nodded.

He felt as ready as he was ever going to be, so he wasn’t lying, right? Liam tilted his head downward ever so slightly, like he was asking if he was really sure. Nolan took a deep breath and straightened up a bit before nodding back.

“Alright, we’ll be here. Call for help as soon as you need it.”

Nolan didn’t like that there was no ‘if’ in that statement. Corey looked at him expectantly and held out a hand. Nolan took it and as he made contact it felt like he was sliding in place somehow. The world had an eerie green glow to it. He guessed that they must be invisible now, because when he looked to Alec their eyes didn’t meet.

“Lead the way.” Corey gestured towards where Nolan had said the hideout was.

He pulled Corey along as they headed through the trees and brush. His stomach tightened the closer they got to the old sewer outlet. Would there be hunters there again? If there were, what were they going to do? They were just two invisible boys against what were effectively soldiers. Better than being two visible boys he supposed.

They got to the outlet and it was shut, a combination lock held the gate closed. Corey looked from him to the lock and raised his eyebrows. It was a question. Nolan shrugged and stepped forward. He spun the numbers with his free hand to the last code he could remember. He yanked and surprisingly it popped open.

Maybe they’d just abandoned it after Monroe left. He really hoped it was abandoned. That wouldn’t really help them, but he still wasn’t really ready to be face to face with hunters again. He hadn’t been ready when he was supposed to be one of them, so being a traitor in their midst was a lot worse.

He realized Corey was staring at him. He was taking sharp breaths, his anxiety was spiking and Corey could see it. Corey put his free hand on his shoulder and moved his other hand from his palm to his other shoulder, not once breaking contact. He was staring Nolan in the face.

“Hey, you’re ok. You’re doing fine.” Corey whispered.

“What if they’re in there?” Nolan tried to whisper, but his nervousness made his voice spike at the end of the question.

“Then we get some info and we get out.”

Nolan’s eyes kept flicking behind Corey to the gate, the uncertainty of the darkness behind it seizing in his chest. He tried to calm down, but he just couldn’t. He didn’t know how they did this, how they kept doing this.

“How?” It was the only word he could get out.

Corey seemed to understand, “To protect the people I care about.”

Just a few weeks ago, Nolan didn't have anyone to care about. Now he had friends and even a boyfriend. He thought again about Liam getting shot and seeing Theo's comatose state. They had both made him feel sick. If he could do something to stop that from happening to them again, he had to. Wanting to, didn’t make it any easier though.

Nolan needed to calm down. He closed his eyes and tried to force himself to take deep breaths instead of the awkward stunted inhales he’d gotten caught in. He shoved a hand in his pocket searching for the time card that he’d kept from his and Alec’s second trip to the arcade. A trip that had come after their kiss. His breathing evened out and he averted the panic attack that had tried to set in.

When he pulled his hand out of his pocket, Corey grabbed it again. He opened the gate and they started trekking inside, into the darkness. The corners and edges should have been a mystery, but the green glow revealed them as they moved forward through the dark tunnel of the sewer. 

Eventually, they came to a doorway. One that Nolan had expected to find closed and sealed up, but instead a light shone from inside. Shadows cast on the wall let him know that something was moving inside. Nolan froze.

Corey whispered in his ear, “They can’t see us. We need to get in there.”

Nolan nodded and prepared himself. He knew they were invisible, he’d seen, or rather not seen, Corey just not be there with his own eyes before when he’d tried to hide Liam at school. Even with the green glow as a constant reminder it was still hard to believe they wouldn’t be seen.

He drew in a deep breath and stepped forward, standing in the doorway. Two men were inside seated at a table side by side facing the door. They were focused on cleaning the parts and pieces of guns that were spread across the table in front of them.

Another step into the room and the men didn’t react. Closer now, he could see them better. These were the same two men that had attacked them in the parking lot. He felt less scared and more angry.

Nolan went to take another step, but Corey pulled them close to the wall and held a finger to his lips. They were invisible, but not silent. He’d almost forgotten. Corey nodded to the far wall and Nolan tried to see why, but whatever had gotten Corey’s attention didn’t stand out to him. They moved around the edge of the room until they got to where Corey had gestured. Now he understood, there were a few military grade tasers in a stand. Monroe and Gerard had shown them all what sort of weapons they would need to fight the supernaturals of Beacon Hills. They explained how electricity and wolfsbane weakened werecreatures. How enough of either could stop them from healing.

Corey grabbed one of the tasers and handed it to Nolan. He guessed that it must have just disappeared in his grip. Corey took one of the weapons for himself and they continued to creep along the wall until they stood behind the pair of men. Nolan lifted it, about to go ahead and strike when Corey squeezed his hand. He stopped himself and saw Corey waving the taser to a beat. One, two, three. Nolan understood. The next time Corey did it, they struck together, pressing the buttons to send hundreds of thousands of volts through the batons.

After the men fell to the floor and stayed there for a full minute, Corey let go of his hand. The green glow faded and Nolan felt himself shift in place again. It was weird to think he felt normal, but he did. Corey gestured to a laptop that had been left unlocked in the corner of the room. Nolan started to go through it while Corey looked through the rest of the room. Nothing seemed particularly useful until he got to the emails and started reading through them. One of them stopped him cold.

He clutched the time card in his pocket again, “No...”

* * *

Liam paced as he called for the third time. He had no idea what time it was in London, but he didn’t care. This was big. Huge. He needed to tell Scott right away.

At least Sheriff Stilinski had been helpful. Liam had given him the tip about the hunters and he and Parrish came personally to arrest the two men and confiscate their weapons and gear. He warned Liam that if they turned out to have all the right permits there wouldn’t be much he could do about it, but he’d hold them for as long as he could. At one point he even implied it was possible for paperwork to get lost in the shuffle, which could take days to correct. The phone picking up pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Liam?” The voice on the other end was groggy and tired.

“Scott!” Liam shouted.

“No, dude, it’s Stiles. We’re trying to sleep.”

“Can you get Scott? I need to talk to him.”

There was a silent pause, “Can this wait until morning, man?”

“No. Stiles, just put him on the phone!”

“Ugh, ok, hold on.”

The phone went silent again. Liam heard a knock and then a door open on the other end. He could barely make out some talking through the phone’s speaker.

“No, he left to patrol. Again.” Malia sounded frustrated, at least he was pretty sure it was Malia.

“He left his phone. Did anyone go with him?” Stiles asked.

“He left his phone?!” Malia definitely sounded frustrated.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Stiles almost sounded... scared?

A door closed and there was a solid thunk he could hear. Then another few moments of silence. Finally, he heard the phone lift again.

“Sorry, Liam. He’s not here.”

Liam figured he’d just have to tell Stiles, “Monroe’s coming back to Beacon Hills!”

Stiles laughed, “Wait, what? How do you know that?”

“We stole a laptop from some hunter’s and they had an email that said she was coming in tonight. The flight lands soon.”

“So, just an email?”

Liam didn’t know why that mattered, “Uh, yeah.”

“Can you send it to me?”

“Not exactly.”

The laptop had died on their way back from the hideout. They were charging it now, but they couldn’t get it unlocked. They’d made a few attempts at the password before it forced them to wait to try again later.

“So, you think Monroe is going to Beacon Hills because of an email that you can’t send us? If you can’t handle it alone out there, you just need to tell us. You don’t have to try to trick us into coming back.” Stiles didn’t sound like he was joking.

“I’m not--” Liam was angry, “Just tell Scott to call me!”

He swiped the call away and threw the phone onto Theo’s bed, nearly hitting him in the process. If he hadn’t thrown it he would have crushed it. He was livid. They’d just have to handle this themselves if the rest of the pack didn’t care.

“I take it that didn’t go well?” Theo looked up at him.

“No!” Liam huffed.

Theo raised both of his eyebrows and looked down at the bed. Liam sighed, he didn’t need to take this out on him. He went over and sat on the edge of the bed.

“Why does he always have to be like that?” Liam grumbled.

“I mean, it’s Stiles. He’s always kind of a dick.”

“We’re on our own.” Liam said the words out loud and they became almost too real.

“Scott will call you back.”

“We’ll see.”

Theo slid over and sat behind him, his legs on either side of him. He wrapped his arms around Liam in and pulled him against his chest. His lips brushed the edge of his ear.

“He’ll call you back.” Theo whispered, “Eventually.”

Theo’s touch and the feeling of his breath curling over his ear helped calm him down. A little. He grabbed one of Theo’s hands with his own and laced their fingers together. He really wished that call had gone better.

He turned his head slightly to brush his ear back against Theo’s lips and nose, into the comforting warmth of his breath. He closed his eyes as Theo nuzzled back. Liam’s head slowly tilted away as Theo’s lips slid down to his neck. He let out a slow breath and was finally calm.

“Sorry to remind you, but we’re gonna need to get you home soon.”

Damnit. He hated that it was Sunday. That he was supposed to go back to school. How could he go back to his normal life when Monroe was going to be back in Beacon Hills tonight? Would she be willing to attack them in public without the anuke-ite riling people up? He really hoped not, but he couldn’t be sure. Those hunters had attacked them in a public place. Sure no one else had been around, but it was still public. If he went home would it put his parents in danger? What lengths was Monroe willing to go to now?

Theo whispered again, “Fine, we can wait a little longer.”

Liam wanted a distraction. He needed a distraction. He turned in Theo’s arms until he was sitting in his lap, knees on either side and they were face to face. Liam kissed him, a hungry, needy kiss and Theo kissed him back. He leaned into it until he’d pinned Theo to the bed. He straddled him, making out with him until, even with their improved healing, their lips were slightly sore. He forced himself to sit up, still straddling Theo’s lap and looked down at him.

For those few minutes he didn’t think about anything but Theo and how it felt to be with him. To be his little wolf and for him to be his teddywolf. He didn’t want to leave again. He shouldn’t leave again. What if Monroe attacked him or Theo. He’d said to stay in pairs and it was sound advice. He couldn’t exactly follow Theo in to work though. 

He sneered at the idea of Monroe doing something to Theo. He wanted to claw her throat out at just the thought. It must have shown on his face because Theo was giving him a weird look.   
“Did I use too much tongue or something, little wolf?”

“No,” Liam let out a small breathy laugh, “Definitely not. I just...”

“Just what?”

“I keep thinking about what she might do. I don’t want you to go to work.” Liam knew he sounded ridiculous.

“You don’t think I can handle myself?”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I know, but we don’t even know for sure if she’s here.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re agreeing with Stiles...” Liam groaned.

“How dare you!” Theo tried to wriggle out from under him.

They wrestled for a bit. Liam just barely kept Theo pinned underneath him. He wasn’t sure if Theo was letting him win or if he actually was stronger. Either way it was a nice distraction, however brief. He’d ended up laying on top of Theo, with his head on his chest trying to catch his breath.

“I know you can handle yourself, but,” Liam took a couple more heaving breaths, “I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“We beat her before, we can do it again.”

Liam wished he was as confident as Theo. Scott had said she had thousands of hunters with her now. She’d had maybe a couple hundred last time she was in Beacon Hills. He had to at least try something to keep them together longer. He pulled out his phone to send a text to his parents.

_ Can Theo stay over tonight?  _

“You know they said not to ask so much.” Theo reminded him.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Liam, I’ll be ok.” Theo insisted.

Before Liam could respond, his phone chimed and a text back from Dr. Geyer was displayed on his lock screen.

_ Yes, but don’t ask again for the rest of the week. _

Liam smiled. One more night with his teddywolf. He’d at least have more time to figure out how to deal with tomorrow. He showed the text to Theo, who rolled his eyes.

They got up off the bed and Theo packed his duffel with a change of work clothes and a couple of things from the snack drawer. Liam spent the time wracking his brain for some way to keep Theo from being alone and by himself during the day, but nothing clicked. He kept trying to come up with something and still hadn’t figured out a plan by the time they got to his house.

They were settling in for bed when Liam’s phone rang. Maybe Scott was getting back to him. When he checked his phone, it was Nolan.

“Hey Nolan, what’s up?” Liam didn’t think he would even be awake this late.

Nolan sounded a little nervous, but he almost always did, “Hey, um, Alec and I won’t be at school tomorrow.”

“Uh, ok.” Liam was a little puzzled, “It would be better if you were, Alec should stick with the pack.”

“We, uh, we just want to spend the day together, ok?”

“Ok,” Liam had a weird feeling, “Can I talk to Alec?”

“No, sorry, he’s, uh, in the bathroom.”

“Alright, well, check in with us tomorrow.”

“Yeah, um, we will.”

The phone went silent. Liam was trying to decide if there was something strange about the call or not. Theo must have noticed him staring at the black screen.

“If you don’t want to snuggle tonight, you could just say so.” Theo joked.

Liam hit him with a pillow, “Jerk. No, that call was kind of weird.”

“Yeah, it was Nolan. That kid is always kind of weird.”

“It just seemed a little extra weird?”

“Sounded pretty standard weird to me.” Theo shrugged.

Liam put the phone back on the nightstand and curled back in with Theo. He let their snuggling distract him from his worries about Monroe, the fact that Scott hadn’t called him back, and the strange call from Nolan. The snuggling had started to provoke a different reaction in him than it had before. 

He noticed more about Theo’s body now. The way his muscles felt as he let his hands explored his skin. The subtle distinctions in his scent from different areas. And as much as he might not have been ready to do anything about it, he liked feeling them pressing against each other and how Theo made it feel perfectly ok. 

As much as he tried to distract himself, his mind kept circling back to his current worries. Monroe was now an ever-present threat and he wondered how many hunters she would have at her beck and call. What bothered him more though, was the oddness of Nolan’s call. Sure he was strange, but was he that strange?


	22. Weird Weird

Theo woke up in the middle of the night. He wasn’t sure what was happening at first, just that it felt really nice. As he started to become more aware he realized what it was. Liam was grinding against him. Maybe Liam’s head wasn’t ready for more, but his body definitely was and so was Theo’s right now.

He silently chuckled and shook his head before trying to gingerly wake Liam up. Part of him wanted to just lay there and let it happen, enjoying the moment, but he didn’t feel like that would be doing right by his little wolf. The grinding stopped. He could feel Liam tense up and smell the nervousness and embarrassment radiating off him.

“Sorry...” Liam’s whisper was extra quiet.

Theo kissed the top of his head, “Don’t apologize. Trust me, I didn’t want you to stop.”

Liam’s confusion was readily apparent, “Then why did--”

“I want us both to be awake when, uh...” Theo hesitated not sure how to say what he wanted to say.

“Huh?” Liam looked up at him, face still red with traces of the embarrassment from a moment ago.

“Let’s just say... you were making me feel really, really good.”

“Oh...”

Liam’s confusion turned to an impish grin. Theo wondered if he should be concerned, before another wave of pleasure washed over him. The little bastard had thrust his hips against him on purpose. Theo tried to suppress a moan, but part of it still got out.

He smirked, “Don’t start something you aren’t going to finish.”

Liam bit his lip, quiet for a moment before whispering back, “Sorry...”

“What did I just say? Don’t apologize.”

Liam looked down between them, “S-- Um, It feels good. You... feel good.”

“I can tell, little wolf.” Theo chuckled.

Liam curled against him more, “I just-- I don’t really know what to do with you.”

“Do with me?” Theo jokingly pretended to be offended.

“I mean. I’ve had sex, but not with a guy.”

“Well, you don’t have to gloat.” Theo tried to make this a joke too, but it didn’t quite sound like it.

“Wait? You haven’t?” Liam looked back up at him in obvious disbelief.

“This is my first real relationship, Liam.” Theo reminded him.

Liam’s brow crinkled, “I thought maybe you might have anyway. You know, before...”

“No.”

The word felt heavy. Like he’d just dropped a weight on Liam’s shoulders. He could see it in his face too, the confusion turning to worry and concern.

“Oh, ok. So, I’d be your first?” Liam’s words made it real.

“Yeah.” Theo breathed the word more than spoke it.

“Wow...” Liam smiled, “I mean, it’s a lot of pressure, but... wow.”

“I don’t really see what you’re worried about?” Theo let his smirk come back.

“I don’t want to ruin it for you.”

“You clearly don’t have to try very hard to make me feel good.” Theo glanced down between them briefly.

Liam blushed, “I still don’t want to disappoint you.”

“I literally don’t think that’s possible, little wolf.”

Liam’s smile almost glowed and it made Theo smile along too. His little wolf hugged tight against him, Theo bent his head down and they shared a kiss before settling back in to get more sleep.

* * *

Nolan looked around the dingy room he’d been forced to stay in overnight. The cot in the corner had been uncomfortable but that wasn’t why he hadn’t gotten any sleep. He was terrified for Alec.

They had come back from Theo’s and were going to spend the night at Alec’s, Nolan had already gotten permission from his mom. He’d stopped to kiss him against the door of the car before heading inside and that’s when it happened. He was still mad he couldn’t wait two more minutes to kiss him from behind a locked door. Alec had ended their kiss with an expression of pain and Nolan wondered what he’d done wrong before the bright red fuzz on the back of the darts caught his attention. That’s all he got to see before the black sack was dropped around his head, the handcuffs clicked, trapping his hands in front of him, and he was dragged off.

They were thrown into the back of what he assumed was a van, Alec grumbling in pain and him crying. The men that had done it kept telling them to be quiet. Nolan had even caught an elbow at one point. The spot still hurt, it had spread into a dark bruise overnight.

When they drug them out of the van, he heard Alec trying to fight back. The sharp and recently familiar sound of the taser had put a quick stop to it. Nolan, had seen what those tasers do to a regular human so he was too afraid to try anything himself.

When the mask finally lifted off, the sight in front of him started silent tears. Alec was handcuffed to a metal grate, curls wet and drooping over his sickly looking face. Small veins of black crept out from the spots where the darts had hit him, but it didn’t look as bad as Liam had the other night.

Nolan immediately started forward to try to get him down somehow, but a shock of electricity through the grate stopped him. Alec grunted in pain, catching Nolan’s eyes for just a moment before looking away. Nolan wanted to look anywhere else, to see anything else, but he couldn’t turn away. He started towards him again and there was another shock. The message was clear.

“Nolan...” Monroe’s voice was always a taunt, “I knew you were a sympathizer, but shacking up with one of these... things. Really?”

Nolan didn’t respond. What could he even say? He was feeling too many things at once. Guilt, fear, anger, disgust, those were just a few of the emotions clouding his mind and starting the next panic attack. He tried to shove a hand in his pocket, but the handcuffs stopped him, the edge catching his other wrist with an unexpected sharpness. He started to lose control of his breathing.

“Ugh, put him in one of the cells.” Monroe said with disgust.

Two large men grabbed him from either side and lifted him up. They dropped the black mask over his head again before dragging him out of the room, dragging him away from Alec. He heard the sound of a door creaking open before they tossed him through it. His feet fell out from under him and he crashed onto the floor almost cracking his head in the process. One of the men yanked off the mask moments before slamming the door shut.

He’d finally been able to shift around enough to get his fingertips to the card and even out his breathing. He pushed himself up off the floor and dropped onto the dingy cot in the corner. He checked his pockets for his phone, but didn’t feel it. He sat there silently wondering what would happen next.

A loud knock on the door made him jump before a panel slid open on it and he could see Monroe looking in at him. He could just make out his phone in her hand. She looked at him with a dark glare.

“Nolan. You’re going to help me.” Monroe sounded certain of herself.

“No I’m not!”

Monroe knocked on the door with something solid, a loud clang cut off Nolan and she spoke instead, “You will. If you want Alec to live.”

Nolan’s eyes watered. He knew what she was capable of. He didn’t know what she wanted, but he didn’t want anything to happen to Alec. He didn’t know what to say.

“You’re going to call Liam. Make sure he doesn’t expect to see you or Alec tomorrow.” Monroe’s voice was cold and even, the implied threat on Alec’s life hanging behind it.

He made the call. He didn’t know what else to do. He felt terrible lying to Liam, but it was Alec, he couldn’t let her kill him. After the call, she forced him to give the phone back.

“That’s a good boy. Your little boyfriend gets to see another day.” She shifted her stance, head tilting to the other side, “We’ll have some questions for you in the morning.”

Then she’d left. Nolan was alone with his thoughts spinning out countless possibilities, countless things that could go wrong, countless questions she might ask. He was thankful they hadn’t taken the card from him. Every time he started to spiral too hard it was a reminder that helped him remain in control. 

He needed to stop thinking about what could go wrong and start thinking about what to do. Maybe he could find a way to get a message out. What would he say if he did? He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know how many men were here. He didn’t even know where Alec was.

He felt like it should be morning, but no one came. With no way to track the time it seemed like it stretched on forever. He didn’t want to be there forever.

A loud bang on the door woke him up. He must have fallen asleep through sheer exhaustion. Two hunters came into the cell and covered his head, dragging him through the halls until he was shoved down into a chair. When the mask came off he could see Alec hanging from the metal grate still, wrists red from where the handcuffs had cut into them. The black tendrils hadn’t gotten worse, but they hadn’t gotten better. The curls of his hair hung in wet distended waves. His dark eyes looked desperate. Nolan wanted to rush over to him. To hug him, touch him, comfort him in some way, but he already knew what would happen if he tried.

“Nolan, Nolan, Nolan...” Monroe sighed, “I need you to answer some questions for me.”

“Don’t do it! Don’t tell her anyth--” Alec was cut off by an electric shock that shook him against the grate.

“I’m talking to Nolan.” Monroe spat out the words.

“Stop! Don’t hurt him.” Nolan had to look away from Alec, who’s eyes were begging him to defy her, “I’ll answer your questions...”

“Good. That’s what I like to hear.” Monroe tapped a nail on the control panel for the electrical current that ran to the grate, “How many supernaturals are in Beacon Hills right now?”

Nolan kept his head lowered, mumbling out the words, “Four? I don’t really know many...”

Alec’s body shook with another jolt of electricity. His grunts of pain were hard to hear. He tried to block out the sights and sounds of the torture.

Nolan screamed, “I really don’t know! There’s just Alec, Corey and Theo and Liam! I don’t know anyone else!”

"What about Scott, Nolan, where is he?"

Nolan stared at the floor. He didn't like his options. He could either disappoint Alec or keep him alive.

"He's in London." His words were dejected.

"London..." Monroe trailed off, "Maybe I shouldn't have left. I guess I'll just have to make sure he comes here."

Nolan didn't like the sound of that. She and Gerard had been focused on killing Scott before. It seemed she still had him as a primary target.

He whispered softly, hoping Alec could hear him, "I'm sorry. I can't lose you."

When Monroe's men escorted him back to the cell he caught Alec's eyes again. They looked defeated. Nolan knew it was his fault, he'd made a choice he was going to have to live with. One he hoped Alec would eventually forgive.

The cot in the room was just as awful as when he'd left it. He didn't notice how uncomfortable it all was as he asked himself one question over and over again. Why couldn’t he have just waited two more minutes?

* * *

Liam hadn't thought of a way to stop Theo from going to work. He hated the idea of him being alone. He wanted him close by in case something happened.

Instead, he had barely suffered through first period and now he was looking for Corey and Mason. He pushed his way through the halls until he made it to the library. Corey and Mason were at one of the central tables, he knew they chose it for its visibility.

"Hey." Liam took one of the seats.

"Hey, you seen Alec or Nolan? They usually beat us here." Corey looked worried.

"They probably just snuck off somewhere." Mason wiggled an eyebrow.

Liam remembered the call from the night before. The extra level of weird from Nolan. He started to worry. He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Nolan.

_ How's the day off? _

No response. Nolan was usually really quick to respond to texts. He was starting to get a bad feeling about that call from last night.

“Liam, have you seen them?” Corey asked.

He hadn’t realized he never responded, “Oh, uh, no. Nolan called me last night and said they were skipping today. He said they wanted to spend time together.”

“That’s... weird.” Mason squinted at him.

“Yeah, it was weird.”

Liam looked up to Mason and Corey both texting. He still hadn’t gotten a response to his own and his stomach was starting to clench. Mason stared down at this phone, clearly expecting a response, but from his expression, was getting a similar dose of silence.

When Mason looked back up at Liam his normally jovial nature was gone. His squint had intensified. He definitely thought there was more going on and Liam was starting to agree with him.

“I don’t like this.” Mason’s voice was flat.

Liam nodded, “Yeah, me either.”

Corey looked between them, “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know.” Liam looked back at his phone, “I still haven’t heard back from Scott either or Deaton.”

“Scott knows you’re in school, he’ll probably wait until later tonight.”

“What about Deaton, he was supposed to tell us what that stuff was. It hurt. A lot. I’ve been shot with the yellow stuff before, but that was something else.”

“We’ll go by the clinic after practice.” Mason seemed determined, “If we still haven’t heard from Alec and Nolan we might need to talk to the sheriff.”

“You’re right. I’ll text Theo and let him know.” Liam was definitely worrying, “I hope they’re ok, but...” he couldn’t say the rest, that Nolan and Alec might not be.

Mason knew what he didn’t say, “I don’t think you’d have even gotten that call if they weren’t. Someone wanted us to think they were.”

Liam hadn’t thought about it that way. It was true, if they just wanted to hurt them, they would have. He knew the hunters had no remorse. Images of Brett and Lori laying in the road forced their way into his brain. A reminder that the hunters had no problem killing.

Liam almost growled, “We need to find them.”

“We already checked the hideouts that Nolan knew about.” Corey reminded them.

“We can’t just do nothing.”

Liam banged a fist on the table, drawing the attention of other students. He snatched up his backpack and stood. He had no intention of waiting through the school day.

“Come on,” Liam realized he said the words like an order.

Surprisingly, Mason and Corey didn’t question him. They grabbed their things and followed him out of the library and towards the administration offices. He stood in front of the school secretary’s desk, Mason and Corey waiting behind him even though he hadn’t explained himself yet.

“Can I help you?” The older woman asked.

“I need to talk with Principal Martin.” Liam could feel his friends shifting around behind him.

“She’s on a call.”

Liam focused his senses, listening through the door of Mrs. Martin’s office. The only sound was a pen writing on paper. He hated being lied to by adults.

“I know she’s not. Just tell her I need to talk to her.”

“Young man, I told you--”

“No, you lied to me.” Liam glared at her.

He could tell she wanted to challenge him further, but something stopped her. Maybe it was because she knew about his IED. Maybe it was because she hadn’t really forgotten what he was. Either way, she called into Natalie’s office.

“Principal Martin, Liam Dunbar is asking to speak with you.” The older woman’s tone was almost acidic, “I tried to tell him that.”

The secretary hung up the phone, but didn’t say anything else. She returned Liam’s glare and started drumming her nails on the desk. Another reminder of why he hated coming to the admin offices. After almost a minute with the droning sound of nails on wood, the door to the principal’s office opened.

“Liam.” Natalie looked behind him, “And Corey and Mason. Come into my office.”

They filed into the office. Liam chose to stay standing while Mason and Corey took the two chairs across from her desk. Mrs. Martin already didn’t look happy.

“What can I help you with?” She arched an eyebrow behind her glasses.

“We need to leave school.” Liam had crossed his arms.

“And why would I let you do that?”

“You know why.”

“I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Lydia. What I do here doesn’t have anything to do with the supernatural. My job is to take care of my students and to do that, you need to go to your classes.” She stared at him, an expression that said she wouldn’t be backing down.

Liam still had to try, “Two of your students are in trouble. Nolan and Alec are missing.”

She prepared to challenge him again, but something stopped her, “Nolan?”

“And Alec, he’s new.”

Natalie picked up her phone, “Susan, did Nolan Holloway call in today?” A pause, “Check with his first period teacher, let me know if he was in class.”

She hung up the phone, staring between the three of them. They all waited in silence. The air in the room felt thick. Liam almost jumped when the phone beeped. She pressed the speaker button.

The secretary’s voice droned through, “He was marked absent.”

“Thanks,” Natalie hit the button to end the call.

“See?” Liam was getting impatient.

She sighed, “You’re lucky he’s our valedictorian.”

“He’s what?” Mason almost shouted.

“4.92 GPA and perfect attendance record. He wouldn’t miss a day. You three on the other hand...”

Liam shrugged, “So can we go help him or not?”

“One. Day.” She was glaring again.

“No promises.” Liam said, turning for the door.

He heard the sound of the other two scrambling out of their chairs to follow him out of the office. He slowed his pace long enough for them to catch up. When his hand was on the door knob, Mrs. Martin spoke again.

“One day, Liam.” Her tone was harsh.

He kept walking without a word.

* * *

Theo didn’t like the texts he’d gotten before lunch. Liam had left school. At least Mason and Corey had left with him, but now he was less safe. He said they were going to Deatons and he wanted Theo to meet him there. So now, instead of enjoying the leftovers he’d packed, he was waiting outside his supervisor’s office.

Apparently, Liam had decided that Nolan’s weirdness meant he was in trouble. He’d had to resist sending a joking text that he should just abandon Nolan like he’d done to Liam twice already, but he knew Liam wouldn’t find it funny. Theo wondered if he had a problem with grudges. Nah, probably not.

The door to the office opened and he was waved inside. He took a seat as directed, but he felt both nervous and angry. Nervous because he didn’t want to lose this important piece of his new stability. Angry because he didn’t like answering to anyone.

“What’s going on Raeken?” His supervisor asked.

Theo put on his work smile, “A friend really needs my help. I was hoping I could take a half day.”

“Normally you’d ask in advance...” The man was looking at him with what felt like judgement.

“Yes, I understand, sir, but I just found out this morning.” Theo hated being under someone else’s thumb, but he didn’t let it show.

“Well, you have been a great employee.”

Theo didn’t need to be told what he already knew, “I can make up the time on another day if you want.”

“No, you’re fine. Just try to ask in advance next time.”

Theo wanted to scream about how that made no sense, but instead he responded calmly, “Will do. Thank you.”

He nodded to the man and headed out of the office. The second he rounded the doorway the fake smile he’d been sporting dropped. He headed to his locker to get his things and get out of there.

The drive from the hospital to the animal clinic wasn’t long. He parked next to Mason’s car and went through the double doors at the entrance. When no one was in the front he headed straight back to the exam room. Everyone turned to look at him as he walked in.

“Alright, I’m here.” Theo said.

Liam rushed over to hug him. “Thanks.”

He hugged Liam back, it was almost a good enough reason alone to have left work early. Theo took in a deep breath of Liam’s scent before he realized everyone was still looking at him. He gave Liam a squeeze before letting him get back to the conversation he’d obviously interrupted.

“As I was saying,” Deaton pushed the bag with the crossbow bolt more to the center of the exam table, “From what I can tell, it looks like they’ve crossbred blue wolfsbane with ashwagandha. The mixture causes the body to metabolize the wolfsbane much faster than normal. Which explains how quickly it affected you.”

“Yeah, and it hurt too.” Liam added.

“Undoubtedly.” Deaton nodded.

“So, is there an antidote or something?” Corey asked.

“Well, regular blue wolfsbane ash doesn’t work. If you could get some of the plant and burn it, we could make something.” Deaton grimaced, “That seems unlikely though. I suggest you all keep something on hand to burn out your wounds.”

“What about the injection Melissa gave Liam?” Theo wondered aloud.

“It’s an option, but it’s like treating a papercut with a surgery. And also much more painful.”

“Yeah, that sucked.” Liam shivered.

“A handheld blowtorch is likely your best--” Deaton was interrupted by the ringtone on Liam’s phone.

“Sorry, uh, it’s Scott. I’ve got to take this.” Liam was already answering the call, “Hey, can I put you on speaker?”

Liam paused for a moment, but soon put his phone on the middle of the table beside the crossbow bolt. He tapped the option for speakerphone and stood back. Theo noticed he was nervously rubbing his own forearm.

“Hey guys.” Scott sounded a little awkward.

“Monroe’s here in Beacon Hills.” Liam blurted out.

“Yeah, Stiles said you had an email?”

“Uh, yeah. Had.”

“Can you send it yet?”

“Not really.”

“Ok, have you seen her there yet? Any sign of her?”

“I told you Nolan and Alec are missing.” Liam had a hurt look brewing in his eyes and Theo didn’t like it.

“That doesn’t mean it was her.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone watched Liam, waiting for him to respond. Corey leaned against Mason and Deaton’s eyes turned to the bolt. Theo stepped up closer to Liam, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder.

Scott spoke again, “We can’t just up and leave London unless you have real proof.”

“So, you don’t believe me?” Liam’s voice was getting louder.

“Liam, it’s not that--”

“I get it. Fine. We’re on our own!” Liam shouted.

“Listen, we can’t--” Scott’s voice was cut off when Liam swiped away the call.

Theo squeezed his shoulder, trying to remind Liam that he wasn’t alone. He could smell the anger and the self-doubt radiating off of him. He was glad the others couldn’t read chemosignals.

Liam’s phone rang and he immediately refused the call. Theo wondered if Deaton would say something, but the man remained silent. The phone rang again and was just as quickly silenced. No one wanted to speak. Theo stepped behind Liam and used his other hand to grab his waist, trying to channel some calm into him by sheer force of will.

Mason broke the silence, “So, what do we do now?”

“We find Alec and Nolan.” Liam grumbled.

“Yeah, but how? They haven’t even texted us back.”

“We need to find where they were last.”

“Ok, they were supposed to go home last night, right?” Corey shrugged.

“Then we check their houses.”

Liam snatched his phone and started out of the building. Theo let his hands slide off his shoulder and waist before following him. Corey and Mason followed behind uttering apologies to Deaton who just shook his head quietly.

Liam stomped out to Theo’s truck and waited at the passenger door. Theo clicked the button on his keychain to unlock it and Liam immediately climbed in. He rounded to the driver’s side, starting the truck and checking his phone’s GPS for Nolan’s address. He found it and slotted it into a holder on the dash. He looked over to Liam who sat, arms crossed, as a small ball of frustration next to him.

He backed out of the space and started following the directions his phone provided. Theo rested his hand on Liam’s leg just above the knee. After a few moments Liam uncrossed his arms and put a hand over Theo’s.

“He didn’t believe me...” Liam muttered.

Theo wasn’t sure what to do. He didn’t really want to defend Scott even though he understood why he was reluctant to up and leave, especially if they had seen Monroe themselves. He also didn’t want to let Liam think his alpha didn’t trust him. He could see and smell just how much it was affecting him.

“We’ll find them.” Theo settled on.

He shifted his hand to lace his fingers with Liam’s. His truck smelled less like rage and more like doubt now. Theo wanted to pull over and just hug him, but he knew that wasn’t an option. He kept driving, following the GPS prompts.

“We’re all right behind you,” Theo tried to assure him.

“Yeah.” Liam muttered.

He hated seeing Liam like this. He wanted to comfort him. He was going to have to think of something besides making out with him to lift or at least change the mood.

“Some of us far too literally.” Theo looked in his rearview at Mason basically riding his bumper, “I don’t think I want you riding with Mason again.”

Liam curiously looked in the side-view mirror, then craned his head back to look behind them. Theo was relieved when he heard a small chuckle and the scent in the truck lightened a little. Liam lifted Theo’s hand and placed his other hand underneath it, before leaning against Theo’s arm.

“He must be stressed out.” Liam said.

“Well, he’s stressing me out. He has insurance, right?”

“Of course, don’t you?”

Theo didn’t answer, actively keeping his attention on the road. He knew he’d forgotten to do something once he’d gotten paid. Liam actually laughed at his silence, which made him feel better. Not about forgetting to get insurance for when Mason was assuredly going to rear end him, but about Liam letting his doubt start to fade. They didn’t take much longer to get to Nolan’s house, but Liam stopped them before they got close.

“His car’s not here, we need to go to Alec’s.” Liam sighed.

Theo waited as Liam texted Mason, who had thankfully not plowed into the bed of his truck when they’d stopped. After a moment, Mason pulled around in front of him and waved out his window for them to follow. Theo put the truck in gear and thought about following as close as they’d followed him, but decided it wasn’t worth the risk.

Mason parked on the side of the road and Theo parked behind him. Before Liam could get out of the car, Theo wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close leaning in to offer a kiss. Liam took it, slowly and carefully pulling away with a small smile. They hopped out of the truck and followed Corey and Mason a couple houses down.

“His car’s here.” Liam walked closer to it sniffing at the air and cringing, “Ugh, I can smell it.”

“Smell what?” Mason asked.

Theo sniffed out of curiosity and the acrid smell caught him off guard. He knew that smell. He’d smelled it on Liam the night they were attacked. That amped up wolfsbane.

“The new wolfsbane, but...” Liam sniffed again, “there’s not much of it.”

Theo had trailed away following the smell to the edge of the driveway and down the street a little. At a certain point the smell faded, but there was something else in the air. Something familiar.

Liam came up beside him, sniffing along as well. From the puzzled look on his face he had caught that strangely familiar scent too. Theo watched Liam close his eyes and slowly lift his nose into the air. It was oddly cute.

“Teddywolf, I love the way you smell, but can you step back a bit?” Liam spoke without opening his eyes.

Theo still couldn’t decide if the nickname was lame, but nonetheless he did as he was asked. Stepping back until Liam’s scent was faint enough that he knew his own would be too. Liam really was adorable when he focused. His face got a lot less cute as a sneer spread across it.

“Now I remember, the hunters at the zoo. That’s what they smelled like.” Liam grumbled.

“What does that mean?” Corey asked.

“It means I know where they are, I hope.” Liam huffed.

Theo stepped up and sniffed again. Now that Liam had said it, he could smell it too. These hunters had the same gear, the same supplies, and they’d come from the same place.

“Let’s go.” Liam gestured to Theo’s truck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May 2021 be a new step on your journey!  
> <3 All of you!


	23. Halfway House

Nolan felt like it had been hours since anyone had come by the cell he was still stuck in. He’d started to wear the sheen off one of the corners of the time card in his pocket. He could feel the difference in the texture under his thumb. He was hoping that he hadn’t answered Monroe’s questions for nothing. Hoping that Alec was still alive.

He stared at the floor trying to think of something, anything he could do to get them out of this situation. Unfortunately, there was no way he was going to be able to overpower any of the hunters. There was definitely no way he was going to get out of the cell. So, he waited. Hoping for Monroe to come back and at least let him see Alec, but no one ever came. The place had been silent since he was thrown back into the cell.

At least, until he heard the sound of metal bending and grinding. It sounded wrong, terrifying in a way he couldn't describe. The terror only lasted for a moment before a familiar voice was on the other side of the cell door.

“Nolan?! Nolan, stay away from the door.” Liam commanded.

He was already tucked in the corner, sitting on the cot. He stared at the door as he heard straining from the other side. It sounded like more than just Liam. The door started to warp and bend and soon that same awful screeching sound of metal against metal filled the air. A final slamming sound rang out as the door dislodged and swung against the wall.

“Nolan!” Mason shouted and ran into the cell with Corey right behind him.

In the doorway, Liam and Theo stood with the gold in their eyes fading away as their chests heaved. Liam locked eyes with him for a moment and nodded, before Corey and Mason started trying to carry him out of the room. They didn’t understand why he was pushing them away at first, until he showed them he could stand and walk on his own.

His first thought wasn’t of himself, “Where’s Alec?”

Liam closed his eyes and focused, slowly turning towards something, “I hear a heartbeat this way.”

Theo grabbed Liam as he started to run, “Wait, there could be traps.”

“Yeah.” Liam nodded and started to walk slowly.

Nolan followed behind Mason and Corey as they stayed close to Liam and Theo. His heart was racing. As they moved through the place there weren’t any hunters to be seen. Nolan wondered if they’d scared them off, but he didn’t say anything as he didn’t want to distract Liam.

Liam and Theo tore their way through two more doors before they finally got to the room where Nolan had been interrogated earlier. Alec still hung against the grate, but he was limp. The black tendril had spread further across his chest and up his neck onto his cheek. Nolan rushed forward and lifted Alec’s head in his hands, but he was all dead weight and his eyes stayed firmly shut.

Liam pushed him back, reaching up and snapping the handcuff chain that held Alec aloft. Theo caught Alec before he could fall and slowly set him on the floor so he was sitting up against the grate. Nolan started to freak out when he saw Theo pull out a pocket knife and a small blowtorch.

“Whoa, wait, what’s that for?” Nolan’s voice was shaky.

“We have to burn out the wolfsbane.” Theo’s answer was clinically dry.

Nolan watched the chimera tracing the tendrils to the source before flicking a blade out of the knife. He dug the knife into the darkest part of his skin and blackness started oozing out. Theo traded a look with Liam who grabbed onto Alec, before he started the blowtorch and took it to the wound.

Alec awoke with a scream that turned to a roar. Liam held Alec down as Theo continued to apply the bowtorch, the black tendrils slowly receding. Corey and Mason each had a hand on Nolan’s shoulders and he knew they were trying to comfort him, but it couldn’t stop the tears of sympathy for Alec’s pain.

Eventually, the tendrils were gone completely and he could see Alec taking uneven breaths. As soon as Liam moved away, Nolan took his place. He tried to comfort Alec, to lift his chin to kiss him, but Alec wouldn’t turn towards him.

“Please?” Nolan whispered.

Alec’s eyes stayed locked on the floor on a spot away from them. Nolan took a shaky breath before falling backwards away from Alec. The pain of his tailbone hitting the concrete floor was nothing compared to what his heart was going through. He closed his eyes, trying to trap some of the tears but they pushed their way through and streaked down his cheeks.

He barely said the words, “I’m sorry.”

“Alec, are you ok?” Liam asked.

Alec grumbled out an, “Yeah.”

“Can you two tell us what happened?”

“I can.” Alec said.

Nolan tried to wipe away the tears with a sleeve, sniffling in the process, “Y-- yeah.”

Theo helped Alec to his feet and Nolan tried to help, but Alec pulled away from his touch. He would have almost preferred to have been punched in the gut. Suddenly, Nolan could barely breathe, and barely speak.

“I-” He struggled to swallow back the lump in his throat, “I did-- didn’t want... you t-- to die. I’m s-- sorry.”

He stared at Alec, pleading without words for him just to look at him. To see that he really meant it. That he’d only been thinking of him.

“What is going on here?” Theo asked, looking between the two of them.

“He told Monroe about you. About Scott.” Alec’s voice was laced with anger.

“She would have killed you!” Nolan was able to blurt out before another wave of tears hit.

“I told him not to talk to her.” Alec was talking like he wasn’t even in the room.

“Wait? Monroe was here? For real?” Liam almost sounded excited.

“Yeah.” Alec confirmed.

“We need to tell Scott! He needs to know to come back!” Liam shouted.

“No!” Nolan gasped.

They all turned to him with looks of confusion. Everyone except Alec who still refused to even have him in his eyeline. Nolan tried to choke back some of the tears to be able to talk more, but questions came before he could.

“Why wouldn’t we tell Scott?” Mason was squinting at him, analyzing him.

“It’s,” he tried to start and had to choke back the lump in his throat again before continuing, “what she wants.”

“Is that true?” Liam asked, but it was a question for Alec.

“It’s true.” Alec still sounded so angry.

“I still need to tell him.”

“You can’t let him come here. And he needs to get out of London.” Alec growled.

“Let’s get out of here.” Liam looked around at everyone.

Corey seemed to be distracted by something, “Nolan, is that your phone?”

Nolan followed his gaze and sure enough, his phone was sitting on one of the shelves. He nodded to Corey who grabbed it and brought it over to him. He took it and shoved it in a pocket.

“Come on.” Liam started out of the room.

They all followed Liam through a few corridors and hallways until they went through a door that took them outside. Theo continued to help Alec along, which was frustrating to watch. Nolan desperately wanted to be there for Alec, but it was clear that wasn’t going to happen. Maybe ever again.

When they got to the vehicles, Theo helped Alec into the backseat of his truck. Every part of Nolan wanted to get in beside him. Instead, he got into Mason’s car. There was an uncomfortable silence as they rode to Theo’s place. A part of Nolan had hoped Corey would offer some advice, but that didn’t happen.

When they arrived at the house he could see Theo offer to give Alec a hand. Alec shook his head and seemed to be testing walking on his own. Theo went on ahead and unlocked the door, letting Liam in behind him.

Mason and Corey both looked at Nolan with expressions that asked if he was ok. He nodded, glancing from them to Alec who was taking his time heading inside. He hoped they understood his silent request for a moment alone. Thankfully, they went on ahead into the house, leaving Nolan outside with Alec.

Nolan walked up to Alec, but kept some distance, “Alec?”

He still wouldn’t look him in the eye, but he did see him glance at his feet. That was something, right? He wasn’t ready to give up.

“Please, talk to me.” The lump in Nolan’s throat was coming back, “I didn’t want to lose you.”

Alec turned to him, anger glinting in his eyes, “You endangered my pack Nolan!”

Nolan flinched at Alec’s yelling, “But you were in danger.”

“And I told you not to talk to her!”

“I just--”   
“Now she knows who to target! Now she knows where my alpha is!”

“But you could have--”

“Died?! Yeah! I knew that when I signed up for this!” Alec sneered.

“I didn’t.” Nolan felt wetness on his cheeks again.

“You said this was your fight too.” Alec was accusing him of something.

Alec was right. He’d said that, but Nolan didn’t realize it meant he was supposed to let Alec die instead of just answering some questions. He thought he was fighting for Alec, but Alec clearly didn’t see it the same way.

Nolan closed his eyes so he didn’t have to see anymore anger, “That’s not fair. You really think I could just let you die? Just sit there and watch her put you through anymore pain? Yeah, this is my fight too, but I thought I was fighting for you. Fighting to save you.”

“It isn’t fair.” Alec’s tone had shifted, less angry and more frustrated.

“Alec...”

“Nothing about this is fair.”

Nolan opened his eyes again. Alec was examining his face with an expression that he didn’t understand. It wasn’t anger, but something else entirely. Something kind of sad maybe?

Alec’s tone was flat, “This fight could kill me, I know that. You need to know that.” Alec looked away, “Don’t let it kill you.”

Was that what this was all about? Had Alec been worried about him? Worried Monroe would kill him?

“Alec...”

“You should go.”

Nolan understood now, “No! You’re not just going to push me away because you’re scared!”

When Alec looked up, Nolan could see the edge of tears in his eyes. He looked Nolan up and down again before looking back away. He heard him swallow.

“What am I supposed to do then?” Alec shrugged with defeat, “I can’t watch you get hurt either.”

“And you think pushing me away doesn’t hurt?”

Nolan watched tears fall from Alec’s eyes, dropping onto the pavement with little taps. Small wet spots spreading out from the point of contact. The driveway was now stained with sadness.

“I’m sorry...” Alec whispered.

Nolan carefully reached for one of Alec’s hands, relieved when he didn’t pull away. He lifted it, wrapping it in both of his and brought it to his lips. He held the kiss on the back of Alec’s hands, he didn’t want it to end in case Alec’s apology meant something other than what he hoped.

Alec used his other hand to wipe at his face. It still wasn’t dry when he looked at Nolan holding his hand. He pulled the hand away and stared at Nolan’s mouth. He stepped closer.

“I’m sorry.” Alec swallowed again, “I-- um... don’t go.”

Nolan sniffled and breathed out a small nervous laugh of relief, “I’m not.”

Alec stepped closer then, pressing against him. He studied Alec’s eyes, the rich chocolate color now rimmed with redness. Alec brought their lips together and Nolan’s eyelids snapped shut. He focused on the feeling of the kiss. They sighed into it, breathing each other's breath for a few moments.

Alec leaned back and looked at him. They both chuckled at the other’s smile. Nolan squeezed the hand he was still holding before they headed inside together.

\-----------------------------------

Liam stared at the phone on the coffee table. He’d put it on speaker right after telling it to call Scott. He hoped Scott would actually answer and not Stiles. He was getting upset just thinking of Stiles' voice.

“Liam?” Scott’s voice came through after a couple rings.

“Scott.” Liam hoped this conversation would go better than the last one.

“What’s going on?”

“She’s here. For real. Monroe’s in Beacon Hills.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, she captured Alec and Nolan, but--”

“She has Alec?!”

“Not anymore,” Alec said, “They saved me.”

“Good. So, then you definitely saw her?” Scott’s voice got calmer.

“Yeah, Alec and Nolan both saw her.”

“Alright, I’ll let everyone know. We should be able to be there in--”

“You can’t come.” Liam interrupted him.

“What do you mean? Monroe’s there. That’s the whole reason all of us are even here in London.”

“She’s looking for you, Scott. Nolan and Alec think she’s trying to lure you here.”

“I know, Liam, she's been looking for me for a while.”

“Well, you can’t come here. She’s obviously got some kind of plan.”

“Liam, the whole point of me doing this is to fight her. I’m coming back, I’ll bring the rest of the pack.”

“No!” Liam roared, “You’re not.”

“Yes, Li--”

Liam cut him off again with a growl, “Scott, she’s expecting you. The only time you’ve beaten her is when you’ve been able to surprise her.”

There was silence on the other side of the line for a few moments, before Derek’s voice came through quietly, “He’s not wrong.”

“Fine, Liam what do you want to do?” Scott said exasperated.

Liam froze. He hadn’t actually expected Scott to ask him what to do. Think, Liam, think. He lined up the things that needed to happen and hoped that his upcoming request would work.

“You need to get out of London. She knows you’re there. She knows about us, so we need some help, but you can’t send anyone here she thinks you would. So, send us whoever’s at the bottom of your list.”

“Are you sure you want that?” Scott asked.

“Yeah.” Liam hoped he sounded sure.

“Ok, fine. We’ll leave London and I’ll make some calls.”

“Good.”

“Be careful.” Scott warned.

“We will be.”

The line went silent as the call ended. Liam looked around the room and had to stop himself from blushing when he saw Theo. He could see how proud he was, clear as day on his face. That felt good.

“So...” Mason looked at Liam, “He didn’t say who he was sending.”

“Yeah.” Liam nodded.

“Who do you think is at the bottom of his list?” Mason asked.

Liam felt bad that his first thought was Theo. The chimera had never been one of Scott’s favorites, even after all the help he’d given them. Beyond that, he really wasn’t sure. There were a few people it could be.

“I’m not sure.”

“Maybe he’ll text you who it is when he picks someone.” Corey offered.

“Maybe.” Liam shrugged.

“So, what do we do now?” Alec asked.

Liam looked between Alec and Nolan, “You two can’t go home. They already got you there once.”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Nolan looked worried.

“Melissa will be home in a couple hours, she might be able to help us with that.” Theo looked like he wasn’t entirely convinced that would work.

“We’ll have to convince her.” Liam tried to be determined for the rest of them, “I don’t think anyone can go home. Scott said they know where we live when he came here before and they’ve proven that now.”

“Yeah.” Alec looked at Nolan.

“So, Theo.” Liam looked to his boyfriend.

“Yes?” Theo arched an eyebrow

“What can we do around here to convince her to help?”

\---------------------------

Theo did his best to time dinner around when Melissa would be home. He’d sent the rest of them to clean themselves and the different parts of the house and they’d all taken care of it. He hoped having a nice clean home and a hot meal waiting for her would put her in a good mood. A big part of him believed she would help them regardless, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

He peeked into the living room. Theo had convinced the rest of them to play some cards and stay out of his kitchen. And it seemed like that was keeping them busy enough without undoing the work they’d done cleaning up.

He strained the pasta and returned it to the pot, adding some of the sauce he’d made and tossing the noodles so they wouldn’t stick together. Melissa was a fan of his vodka sauce so he’d made a big batch for everyone. When she got home he’d put in the garlic bread so it was still warm when they ate. For now, he kept the sauce simmering and the pasta covered.

Melissa was a couple minutes later than normal getting home, which had made Theo worry for just a bit. When she stepped in the door, he watched her catch the smell of the sauce and smile before looking over to him. Then she caught the movement in the living room.

“That’s bribery pasta, isn’t it?” She nodded to the pots on the stove.

Theo shrugged, “Yep.”

She spoke in a half-shout that cut through the house, “I’m going to go get changed. Whatever this is, we’ll talk about it in the dining room in ten minutes.”

Theo put in the garlic bread when she left which would give it just the right amount of time to be done. After that he put together the bowls of pasta and called everyone to come get theirs and take it to the dining room. Liam took Melissa’s for him. When she joined them there was toasty garlic bread and hot pasta waiting for her.

“Brown noser.” Melissa chuckled at Theo.

Theo shrugged, “Well, we do have to make sure the best nurse in Beacon Hills is taken care of.”

Melissa rolled her eyes, “What’s going on?”

"The hunters are back." Liam said.

"Which hunters?"

"Monroe"

"Ok." She said in a way that really meant they needed to explain.

"They know where everyone lives. We can't go home. They already kidnapped Alec and Nolan once."

"So, what is your plan?" She took a piece of garlic bread and set it on the edge of her bowl clearly unphased by these situations at this point.

"We need to hide out here for now."

"Hide out in the same house they shot up last time they were here?" She grimaced a bit.

"They think Scott's in London, so I don't think they'll attack you." Liam definitely sounded determined.

"Ok, so you want me to run a halfway house?"

"Yeah and maybe run interference with the Principal?"

"Oh man. You guys better have done more than have Theo cook for me."

"We cleaned the whole house?" Liam tilted his head and shrugged.

"Fine. I'll call her tomorrow morning, but you all need to handle your parents yourselves."

Liam hung his head. Theo knew he still hadn't told his parents what he was. This was going to be extra hard for him.

“Well, my aunt’s good with it.” Alec held up the texts on his phone.

“So’s my mom.” Nolan did the same.

“Ours are good too.” Corey said.

“We called them earlier.” Mason explained.

“I’ll be back.” Liam got up out of his seat.

Theo caught his gaze, checking to see if he wanted him to come up with him. Liam shook his head before going upstairs. Theo poked at his pasta, worried about what Liam’s parents would say.

“Well, you all already know where the beds are.” Melissa took a bit of the garlic bread.

“Yeah, we can set those up.” Alec scraped the bowl as he scooped out the last bite of pasta.

“And please let us know if we can do anything to help around here.” Corey offered.

“Oh, I will.” Melissa laughed.

Theo chuckled. He did his best to focus on the food and not try to listen in on Liam. It wasn’t easy. He would wait for Liam to tell him what happened.

“I’ll wash the dishes.” Nolan offered.

Nolan gathered the already empty bowls and took them to the kitchen. The other three started getting the beds and furniture in place for the night. Theo just sat quietly with Melissa.

“He’ll be ok.” She assured him.

“I hope so.” Theo stabbed a noodle.

“Dr. Geyer has been suspicious for a while, not of Liam, but you know,” She waved a hand around, “Beacon Hills.”

“Well, I guess we’ll see what happens.”

They finished their bowls and Melissa took the last piece of garlic bread. She grinned at him as she picked it apart. She took a piece and wiped some of the sauce from the bowl with it.

“There’s two containers in the fridge. Figured you might want to take some leftovers to work this week.” Theo finally ate his last bite.

“Thanks, but I already said yes, you don’t need to keep bribing me.”

“Well, actually...”

“What?”

“I’m gonna need to take this week off. I need to be here in case Liam needs help. Can you talk to my supervisor?”

“Sure, but we’re going to have to kill off one of your grandparents.”

Theo looked at her with confusion, “Kill... off?”

“That’s the only way you’re going to get five days off. So, grandpa or grandma?”

“I don’t even remember my grandparents...”

“Theo, we’re just telling them that one passed. Thankfully, the hospital doesn’t require proof.”

“Oh, so we’re lying.” Theo grinned.

“Yeah, if we want you to keep your job.”

Theo raised his eyebrows, “Well, sorry gramps.”

“I’ll tell them when I go in tomorrow.”

He knew he should say ‘thank you’, but instead, “Don’t forget to take the pasta with you.”

Melissa raised an eyebrow at him, but didn’t push it any further. Nolan came back through and took the last of the dishes to finish cleaning up. Melissa stood, stretched and headed upstairs. He knew she was going to bed even without her saying anything.

He focused his hearing, just enough to see if Liam was still on the phone, but not enough to make out any words. There was no talking coming from his room. He decided it was time to check on Liam.

“We’ll be upstairs if you need us. Knock first.” Theo focused on Mason when he said the last part.

“It was one time...” Mason whined.

He left the four of them as they finished cleaning up and settled in for the night. He was glad Alec and Nolan had made up, still for selfish reasons, but he had to admit they were pretty cute together. He couldn’t stop himself from listening in on them when they were in front of the house and it had made him a lot more sympathetic to Alec. He headed upstairs and lightly knocked on his own door, which felt weird to do.

“Come in.” Liam sounded sad.

Theo stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. He crossed over to where Liam sat on the side of the bed and took a seat next to him. He put an arm around his shoulders.

“Hey.”

Liam sighed, “Hey.”

“So, what did they say?”

“He said I could stay here for the week, but that I had to explain everything after.” Liam leaned against him.

“Sounds like it went ok then.”

“I guess, I just... I don’t know how he’s going to handle it.” Liam toed at the floor.

“He handled walking in on the surprise of your practically naked boyfriend pretty well.” Theo chuckled.

Liam didn’t, “You don’t know how he is. He’s always reminding me that he’s a man of science.”

“So?”

“I don’t know.” Liam shrugged, “I don’t know how he’s going to take it. Or... if my mom... will even show up.”

“Well, I’ll be there if you want me to, little wolf.” Theo kissed the side of his head.

“Thank you.” Liam gave him just the edges of a grin.

“Do you want to get ready for bed?”

“Sure.”

\-----------------------------------

Liam smiled as he watched Theo strip down for the night. Sure he was supposed to stop a notoriously evil and vicious hunter, but on the upside he was going to get to spend the whole week with his boyfriend. His very sexy boyfriend.

He could feel things stirring just from looking at Theo tonight. He was definitely looking forward to snuggling again. Just the thought of it was having an effect on him.

“Well, someone’s excited.” Theo grinned and Liam realized he was looking between his legs.

He hadn’t been able to stop it tonight. He didn’t want his mind on anything but Theo right now. Lately, his thoughts of Theo had gotten less sweet and cuddly and a lot more sexy and curious.

“It’s your fault.” Liam blamed him with a smile on his face.

“Is it now?”

Theo walked over to the bed, but didn’t get in or sit beside Liam, he just stood over him. Liam realized he was studying Theo’s underwear, trying to determine the shape of what lay underneath. He blushed and looked down.

“It’s ok to look, I am your boyfriend.” Theo was playing with his hair.

Liam let himself look back up, eyes still stuck below Theo’s waist, “Do I excite you?”

Theo chuckled, “Of course you do, little wolf.”

“But, you’re not... you know.” Liam bit his lip.

“Do you want me to be?”

Liam’s head was swimming with hormones and curiosity, “I... um... yeah.”

His face felt hot and his breathing was shallow. Theo grabbed one of Liam’s hands and placed it on his stomach. As Liam felt the warm skin, he watched as things stirred under the fabric of Theo’s briefs.

“Is that what you wanted?” Theo grinned down at him.

“Um,” Liam swallowed, “yes.”

“Is there anything else you want?” Theo put a hand over Liam’s.

Part of Liam, a very specific part, was screaming yes. Another part of him still worried about what to even do. He’d thought about looking up porn to try to get some sort of idea, but he was scared to run into anything weird. So the anxious part was winning out tonight.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, which didn’t help anything. He got a strong scent of pheromones coming from Theo. They made his head spin even more. Theo smelled amazing.

“I-- I’m sorry.” Liam stammered.

“It’s ok, little wolf.” Theo smiled.

He knelt down in front of Liam, taking the hand that had been on his stomach and bringing it to his lips, kissing the back softly. He leaned forward and touched their foreheads together, all the while looking into Liam’s eyes. Liam couldn’t help himself and craned his forward, bringing their lips together. Theo cupped his cheek with his free hand and pulled him closer. The kiss was soft, but belied a hunger in both of them. 

Theo pressed against him until he was pinned to the bed. The strength and muscle of the chimera was causing a heat all through Liam’s body. He wanted more, but the anxiety crept in again.

He gasped in enough air to speak, “Can we... go to... bed?”

“Sure thing.” Theo grinned, but Liam could tell he was out of breath too.

Before he could crawl to his spot, Theo picked him up and brought him to it, wrapping them up in a blanket and then wrapping Liam in his arms. Tonight, instead of Theo’s strong arms just hugging him close, one wrapped around his shoulders and the other around the lowest part of his back. The hand on the second arm cupped one of the cheeks below his waist, Theo hadn’t touched him like that before and he liked it. A lot. And from what he could tell Theo liked it too.

He nuzzled into Theo’s chest, enjoying the pheromones that still hadn’t stopped wafting off of him. Flashes of everything he’d seen tonight kept creeping into his brain, reigniting his excitement. As he fell asleep pressed against Theo, he wondered if maybe discovering how it all worked alongside him might be its own reward. Another clumsy experience for them to share.


	24. Photographs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry things have slowed down a bit. I have a job that's taking up more time now, so this is going to keep coming out, don't worry. Just not quite as fast. <3

Theo woke up first again, but not to the unconscious enthusiasm of his little wolf. Not that he would have minded. He’d started getting into a habit with work and now he always seemed to wake up a few minutes before his alarm. He wasn’t tired anymore, so he didn’t want to go back to sleep. Instead he enjoyed what he figured would be an uncommon occurrence of waking up with his boyfriend on a weekday.

He buried his nose in Liam’s hair and slowly took a deep breath. His little wolf’s scent was both calming and comforting. He wondered if Liam felt the same way. He remembered Liam’s comment from the day before about liking his scent and it brought a smile to his face. And of course he’d used that terrible and somehow cute nickname.

He was sure today was going to bring some new responsibilities. At least one of those wasn’t the tedium of his work at the hospital. It was already so routine now it was boring and that worried Theo. He didn’t do well when he got bored.

This though. This having Liam curled up against him. He wanted that to be routine. He knew he could never get bored of this. The warmth of him, the soft thump of his heart, and his scent. His almost too sweet scent. He only ever wanted more of it.

Liam started to wriggle awake, “Morning?”

“Yeah, it’s morning.” Theo whispered into the top of his head.

Liam slowly pulled his head out from beneath Theo’s nose. He looked up at him, eyes still sleepy and touched their noses, grinning up at Theo. Theo leaned down further, their noses brushing before their lips touched. Liam tasted as sweet as he smelled.

"We have more to do today." Liam groaned.

"Yeah, what exactly is the next step?"

"We need to go talk to the Sheriff."

"Stilinski? Really?"

“I want to find out what happened with those hunters from before. And make sure he knows Monroe’s here. He definitely doesn’t like her.” 

Theo feigned a whine, “But can’t we stay in bed a little longer?”

“Ha ha, very funny.” Liam buried his face into Theo’s chest again.

“Really though, I don’t want to get up yet.”

“What? Why? You’re always rushing me out of bed.” Liam had started nuzzling him gently.

“If I’m skipping work and you’re skipping school, I want to make the most of it.”

“You have a point.”

“So, what does my little wolf want to do with his...” Theo couldn’t believe he was saying it, “teddywolf... this morning?”

“I knew you liked it.” Liam’s cheek pressed against his chest when he grinned.

“That’s not an answer.” Theo carefully combed through Liam’s hair with his fingers.

“Let’s just stay close for a while longer.” Liam whispered.

“Ok,”

Theo pulled Liam against him. He chuckled as he gave Liam’s ass a firm squeeze in the process and got a cute little squeak as a reward. That and he could feel Liam’s excitement firmly pressed against him. Waiting for Liam to be ready was its own kind of torture. He would wait, but he couldn’t stop thinking about all the things he wanted to do.

“Uh... Theo...” Liam whispered, voice cautious.

Theo’s heart was pounding in his chest, “Yeah, little wolf?”

“I, uh... I think... um... you’re... leaking?”

“What do you--” Theo’s heart stopped for a moment when he realized what Liam meant, “Uh...”

Liam’s cheek pressed against his chest even harder, “I do excite you.”

Theo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly trying to divert his mind from thoughts of Liam’s body. Of his tongue in places. Of Liam enjoying it. Ok, that wasn’t working. He tried to think of anything that might help him calm down a bit, but with Liam pressed against him it was hopeless. When he gave up he realized Liam was looking up at him.

“I’m sorry. I... I want to. I just--” Liam’s whisper was softer than usual.

“I know, little wolf. I can wait.” Theo assured him.

“I’m just nervous.” Liam sounded defeated, “I don’t want to mess it up.”

“You can’t do that...” Theo sighed.

“Do what?”

“Hold this up to some high standard.”

“But, it’s your first time. Like... your first time.” Liam emphasized.

Theo chuckled, “Is it going to be the last time?”

Liam seemed caught off guard by the question, “Uh, no. I mean-- I hope not.”

“So, then... we’ll get to try again.” Theo shrugged.

Liam licked his lips. Theo wasn’t sure he realized he did it. Liam’s eyes trailed down from his for a moment before snapping back up and then darting to the side self-consciously. At least Theo wasn’t the only one having thoughts of more.

Liam blushed, “Yeah.”

Theo grinned down at him. He loved when Liam blushed. Then he felt Liam’s hand sliding down along his side, slowly. Fingertips brushed the top of the waistband of his briefs before catching just under the edge. Liam’s face was red. He kept nervously looking up to Theo and then away again as his fingers moved ever so slowly under the elastic. Theo’s heart was pounding heavier than before.

Then a different pounding cut through the air. Someone was knocking on Theo’s door. Liam’s fingers quickly slipped up and away. Theo tilted his head back, teeth gritting together in frustration.

Mason spoke from the other side of the door, “Hey, uh, guys. Just wanna let you know we’re awake.”

“Uh, thanks.” Liam half-heartedly raised his voice.

“Yeah.” Theo’s voice was a lot more bitter than he wanted it to be, “Thanks Mason.”

Mason walked away from the door, but Theo could still make out the confused mumbling, “Jesus, I knocked like he asked...”

“I guess we better get up...” Liam bit his lip.

Theo reluctantly nodded, “Yeah, I guess.”

* * *

Nolan poked at the scrambled eggs Theo had made when he and Liam came downstairs. They were good, but he was still nervous about what was coming next, so he had to force himself to eat. Thankfully, he still had Alec to comfort him. At some point before Nolan fell asleep the night before he’d decided that Alec wasn’t going to die. He still knew somewhere deep down inside it was a possibility, but it was eating at him in a way that made him feel completely useless, so he opted to deny that was an option.

While he and Alec had sat at the island watching Theo cook, he was sure he’d caught Theo glaring when he heard Mason’s voice that morning. Now they all sat at the dining room table, Theo and Liam sat side by side across from them with Mason and Corey sitting off to the side. There was still a sort of surreal feeling that the three of them were all couples spending this time together.

“So, I already called the Sheriff. He said to come by around noon.” Liam explained.

“It’s kind of weird that he knows. I mean, it’s good, but it’s weird.” Alec stared at a bite of eggs on his fork before popping it into his mouth.

“Definitely better than not. And Monroe made an enemy of him before, so even better.”

Theo set his fork down on his empty plate, “Anyways, that gives you guys a couple hours to shower. There’s not a ton of hot water, so I suggest making your showers quick.”

“No problem.” Mason said, chuckling with Corey.

Theo glared at Mason again, but Mason and Corey were being too giggly to notice. Liam nudged Theo and drew his attention away from the pair with what Nolan could only describe as puppy dog eyes. A look which earned him a kiss from Theo.

Nolan scooted his chair back and stood up, “I can do the dishes again.”

Liam watched him stack their empty plates and gather the utensils on top, “No, I got it. You can get them next time though.”

“Ok.”

Alec pulled Nolan down, catching him before he could fall off his lap. Nolan laughed off the fleeting moment of fear and Alec kissed his cheek. He blushed, nervous about all the blatant affection.

“Well, we’re gonna go take our shower.” Mason got up and dragged Corey away.

It took Nolan a second to realize that Mason had said shower, singular. He knew Mason and Corey had been together for a while already, so it made sense they might be comfortable enough that being naked together was part of the routine, but he couldn’t imagine that yet between him and Alec. He only realized he was blushing about it when he noticed Alec looking at him with a grin.

“Come on, let’s give these two a little space.” Liam said as he picked up the stack of plates.

“Don’t lie, you really just want to get me all to yourself.” Theo got up and followed Liam to the kitchen.

“Hey.” Alec’s grin had bloomed into a smile.

“Hey.”

“So, think they have the right idea?” Alec’s hands held him by the waist.

“It is nice to have some alone time with you.” Nolan traced the edge of Alec’s jaw with his thumb.

“It is, but I was talking about Corey and Mason.” Alec’s eyes were watching Nolan cautiously.

“Oh, uh...” Nolan was flustered by the suggestion, “I mean, we haven’t even...”

“Just an idea.” Alec scooted him a bit closer on his lap.

“I mean, um,” Nolan bit his lip, “are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

Alec had said the word with confidence. His eyes trailed down Nolan’s body, making him feel like he was already undressed. Nolan hoped he could live up to whatever Alec was imagining.

“Ok, but, um...” Nolan looked upstairs, “just a shower. Ok?”

Nolan searched Alec’s eyes for any sign of disappointment. Thankfully, he didn’t find any. Alec tilted his head up to kiss him, a slow reassuring kiss. When he leaned back against the chair again, he lifted a hand from Nolan’s waist to his forehead, brushing a tangle of hair behind his ear.

“Just a shower.” Alec repeated with a nod.

“So, what do you want to do while we wait?” Nolan chuckled nervously again.

“More of this.” Alec brought their lips together again.

* * *

Liam got out of Theo's truck and waited for the rest of the group before heading into the Sheriff’s station. When he got inside, Sheriff Stilinski was already waving them into his office through the blinds. Instead of sitting behind it, the Sheriff leaned on the edge of the desk. He gestured with his chin towards the door as they came in and Theo shut it behind them.

“So, you wanted to talk?” The Sheriff asked.

“Yeah.” Liam felt uneasy but tried to seem confident, “What happened with those hunters? ”

Stilinski raised his eyebrows, “Well, their permits weren’t up to date. Looks like without Gerard that’s fallen behind. We convinced the judge not to offer bail, so they’re not going anywhere any time soon.”

“Good.” Liam had prepared for the worst, but was glad that wasn’t necessary.

“You didn’t come all the way here just for that.”

“No. She’s back.”

“You’re talking about Monroe?”

Liam nodded, “Yes.”

The Sheriff glared, but Liam knew it wasn’t meant for him, “I can put out an APB.”

“That might scare her off.” Mason suggested.

“Good point. I’ll at least make sure Parrish is aware.” Stilinski lifted off the edge of the desk and circled around to sit in his chair.

“Let’s say she was caught.” Liam hoped he was right about this, “Do you think she’d go to prison?”

The Sheriff laughed, “If we get our hands on her, she’s gonna see the inside of a cell for the rest of her life.”

“Ok, then we’re going to catch her.”

“In that case, I’m going to assign this to Parrish as his top priority.” The Sheriff was sorting through some paperwork on the desk.

“Thank you, sir.”

Liam hadn’t given much thought to Parrish helping until now. He’d hadn’t exactly made himself available. He would definitely be an asset.

“Any leads yet?”

“Oh, uh, no.”

Stilinski furrowed his brow, “There’s no other hideouts?”

“We checked the ones we knew about. And we’re pretty sure she abandoned Gerard’s old place.”

“Pretty sure?”

Liam nodded, “When we got there, only Alec and Nolan were inside.”

The Sheriff gave him a look that said he expected to be filled in, so Liam did just that. He could tell that Stilinski wasn’t too happy about finding everything out after the fact, but with everyone else wanting more proof he didn’t want to tell him before they knew for sure. He made sure to include the info about the new wolfsbane and that he’d told Scott to stay out of it, which meant Stiles should too.

“So, I’m guessing I can’t convince you boys to let us try to handle this first?”

“We can’t wait.” Liam shrugged.

“I didn’t think you would even if you could. Anything else?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Alright, I’ll make sure Parrish keeps you in the loop on things from our end as long you do the same for him.”

“We will.”

“Good. Shut the door on your way out, please.”

Liam opened the door and everyone gathered outside of the Sheriff’s office. They formed a loose huddle, trying to keep their voices below the general murmur of the station. The deputies occasionally gave them weird looks, but otherwise left them alone.

“We need to figure out what to do next.” Liam looked between all of them.

“Easier said than done,” Mason rubbed his chin.

“Well, Scott texted me earlier. Whoever he’s sending will be here tonight.”

“He still didn’t tell you who it was?” Theo arched an eyebrow.

“Nope, but we’ll find out later.” Liam shrugged.

“Great.”

“Let’s head back and see if we can come up with something.”

Liam looked at each one of them before heading for the door. They got back into Theo’s truck, Liam taking the passenger seat and the other two couples squeezing together in the back. As the doors shut he could see Nolan taking a selfie with Alec, Mason and Corey. 

“You’re not posting that anywhere, right?” Liam asked in a way that implied it wasn’t really a question.

“Oh, uh, no.” Nolan said nervously, “The signal’s not great out here anyway.”

“Good, we don’t need to be putting anything revealing on our socials.”

“Makes sense.” Nolan looked at his phone with frustration, “What is going on with my phone? How am I already at thirty percent?”

“Have you restarted it?” Mason asked.

“Yeah, just last night.”

“Close your apps?” Corey shrugged.

“Did that too.”

“Turn GPS off?” Alec nudged him.

“I don’t turn it on, see?” Nolan showed his phone to the others.

“I don’t know. Take less selfies of us?” Alec grinned.

“But I like our selfies...” Nolan’s voice trailed off.

“I do too, just you know, slow down a little, maybe?” Alec hugged Nolan

“Fine...”

Liam chuckled to himself. Nolan and Alec were so enthusiastic, whereas he and Theo were careful. He thought about the time they’d spent together already and wished he’d thought to take pictures. Right now he only had a couple, the one from the mall and the one he snapped while Theo was driving. He didn’t even have one of them together. He decided he’d have to fix that later. He’d do it now, but he didn’t want to be a hypocrite after just chiding Nolan about taking one.

Theo drove them back to Melissa’s. They started chatting about what they might be able to do to try to lure out Monroe and actually capture her, but couldn’t come up with anything that sounded like it would work. By the time they got back to the house, they’d started talking about lunch instead.

Once inside, Liam grabbed Theo by the hand and dragged him up to his room. The other couples eyed him curiously but didn’t say anything. Liam guessed they wanted more alone time for themselves too. When he shut the door behind them he wandered over to the bed and sat down, looking up at Theo who seemed to still be trying to figure out what was going on.

“Theo?” Liam asked quietly.

Theo grinned a little, “Yes, little wolf?”

“Why haven’t we taken any pictures?”

“Well, we have. There are those pictures from the mall.” Theo came and sat next to him on the bed.

“You saw me take the other one?”

“You’re not that slick, little wolf.” Theo grinned.

“Don’t you want a picture of me?”

Theo seemed to hesitate for a moment, “I have a picture of you...”

“You do?”

“Yeah.”

Liam wondered when Theo took a pic of him. He definitely hadn’t noticed. Even trying to think back of times when Theo had his phone out, there wasn’t a moment that stood out. Liam couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

“Can I see it?” Liam asked

“Sure.”

Theo pulled out his phone and after going through it for a moment turned the screen to Liam. He hadn’t noticed because he’d been asleep. He stared at the photo trying to make out what was going on around him. He was laying in the sunlight, Theo’s blanket was under him and he could see the blue of the truck behind him.

After a moment, it registered. Theo had taken this photo after their first night together. When Liam had desperately asked to not be alone, when he’d wondered if his request to go stargazing would be met with laughter, when he’d first started to really enjoy being around Theo’s scent and being around Theo in general.

Liam’s arms were moving before he could stop them. He hugged Theo. He wondered how long Theo had liked him, had wanted what they had now, but he was too afraid to ask. He was too afraid to find out how long he’d been an idiot missing out on it.

“It’s just a photo, little wolf.” Theo chuckled but still wrapped an arm around him.

Liam nestled into him, eyes still locked on the screen, “Can I have a copy?”

“If you really want.” Theo did a few taps and swipes and Liam’s phone dinged.

“Thank you.” Liam said sheepishly.

Now he could share in that memory. He could look at it and remember their first night sleeping side by side in the open air, curled up in the back of Theo’s truck. The night he kept desperately trying to catch Theo’s scent before he really understood why. It was a bigger gift than Theo seemed to give it credit for.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t mind maybe taking one together?” Liam looked up at him.

Instead of answering, Theo turned on his camera and held up his phone. He lined up a shot of Liam hugging against him, held in his other arm. Click. Then he leaned his head on Liam’s. Click. Kissed the top of his head. Click. Liam turned away from the camera to look at Theo. Click. Theo leaned down and kissed him. Click. Liam kissed him harder, he’d thought maybe Theo would want one picture, but five? He was starting to think Theo might actually have a soft spot. Thunk.

It took him a minute to realize what the sound was. Theo had dropped the phone on the floor, using his hands instead to hold Liam. To keep them held together in that kiss. And before Liam knew it, he was on top of Theo, pulled there by those hands. The hands that roamed his back and neck. The hands that slid down to his waist when he finally decided to breathe, his lungs now stinging with the need for oxygen.

He looked down at Theo, just as out of breath as he was, and smiled. Liam could feel the tenderness of his lips and he could see that same tenderness in the pink of Theo’s. He thought about what he wanted to do, what he was afraid to do. Maybe it was time to get rid of that last barrier. Maybe tonight.

“You ok little wolf?” Theo grinned up at him.

“Yeah... yeah.” Liam gave a small nod.

“It’s almost time for lunch.” Theo had a hungry look in his eyes, but it wasn’t for food.

“Is it?”

“Unfortunately.”

Liam laughed, “I wanna see those photos first.”

“You want all your friends to starve so you can look at some pictures?” Theo lifted an eyebrow.

Liam rolled his eyes, “They’re not just some pictures.”

“Ok, but you’re still going to have to let me up if you want to look at them.”

Liam reluctantly slid off of Theo’s lap and sat at the edge of the bed again. Theo rolled onto his stomach and turned so he lay parallel with Liam, swiping an arm out to snatch his phone up off the floor. After looking it over for damage, Theo unlocked it and opened his camera roll. Liam couldn’t quite see it, though he could tell Theo was swiping through the photos. Before he could protest Theo spun back up to a sitting position next to him. He handed Liam the phone before he got up and stretched.

Liam stared at the pictures. The progression of affection that stopped at their kiss. There was a strange power to that photo, to all of them. Up until now the whole experience between them had been kind of ethereal. Now it was real. Now there was proof that it truly existed. That Theo felt the same way he did.

He smiled as he sent himself the photos. The ding that came from his pocket was reassuring. He handed Theo back his phone and immediately pulled out his own. Jumping into their texts and making sure to save each one and to back them up to the cloud. He never wanted to lose them.

He was swiping back and forth through them. Watching the little scene play out over and over again. Occasionally, he went far back enough to see the photo of himself asleep in Theo’s truck. He was sad for that Liam, the version of him that couldn’t see what was right in front of him.

“You know, you have the real version right here...” Theo was leaning against the dresser, nibbling at one of the gummy sharks from their snack drawer.

Liam locked and tucked away his phone, crossing to Theo just as he bit off another chunk of the gummy. He grinned mischievously and pulled Theo down to kiss him. He made it a point to steal the bite of candy during their kiss, pulling away gently chewing on it.

“You could have just asked for a bite.” Theo glared at him, but it was definitely more playful than serious.

“Nah, I wanted that one.” Liam laughed.

“Come on, let’s go feed those idiots before they burn down my kitchen trying to feed themselves.” Theo popped the last bit of candy into his mouth.

Liam stopped Theo as he tried to walk past him to the door. Theo looked at him with confusion before Liam launched into another hug, squeezing as tight as he dared. Theo squeezed back, just as tight, almost like a challenge, before they both let go.

“Thank you.” Liam whispered.

“What did I do this time?” Theo arched an eyebrow.

“The photos. Thank you. They’re great.”

“They are, aren’t they?” Theo smirked.

Liam was going to let him have this one, “Definitely.”

Theo leaned down and gave him a quick kiss, breath still smelling of vague berries. He brushed liam’s cheek with a thumb, then grabbed one of his hands and pulled him to the door. The two of them headed downstairs.

In the living room, Mason was cuddled in Corey’s arms and Alec was holding Nolan while they all watched TV. Liam guessed it was some sort of sitcom when he heard a laugh track. He took out his phone again and snapped a shot of them. Another memory to add to his new collection.

The sounds from the kitchen told him that Theo had started pulling together some sort of meal for them. He decided to go watch, just in case he might want some help. Liam liked being the only person Theo actually liked having in the kitchen while he was cooking.

Theo didn’t ask for help though. So instead, Liam pulled out his phone and scrolled through his new photos for a bit before making a special album for them. He dragged in the new ones, the one of Theo driving and the one from the mall. He wondered when he could convince Theo to put that outfit on again.

He was staring at the photo of them kissing again when the little gasp sounded from behind him. He knew it was Corey before he turned to look and when he did he was pointing Mason to the photo. Liam’s best friend gave him an approving grin as he pulled Corey’s arm down back to his side.

“Cute.” Mason said.

“Adorable.” Corey argued.

They both laughed and Theo turned to look at them and then Liam with his eyebrows raised. Liam turned the phone to show him the photo they’d seen. Theo shrugged and turned to finish plating the quesadillas he’d just finished making.

Liam wondered if Theo really didn’t see what he did in the photos. He’d been playing them off all day as nothing special. He hoped this was just him playing it cool as usual. He felt Theo’s breath on his ear before he heard the words.

“We are adorable.” Theo whispered.

Liam giggled, “Yeah we are.”

They all went to the dining room and enjoyed their lunch together. Theo’s food was delicious as always and there were barely even crumbs left when they were done. Liam had invited the rest of them up to Theo’s room, with his approval of course, to play video games when they were done eating.

They all played some games for a bit, passing around the controllers so everyone could take a turn. Eventually, Theo retreated to the head of the bed and Liam followed him there, laying back against his chest. Mason and Corey joined them, and they watched as Nolan and Alec battled it out in a couple different fighting games.

It was a nice casual evening. Friends all hanging out and spending time together. The sound of an unfamiliar car in the driveway was a quick reminder that they weren’t allowed to have a normal evening, not while there were still hunters in town. Their help had arrived and now they were going to have to get back to business.


	25. Getting Clumsy

The engine outside cut off and Theo felt tense as he climbed out of the bed. He led the way as the other boys followed him downstairs. There was an impatient knock at the door and the sound of voices. Had Scott really sent two people? He glanced back at Liam who only offered him a shrug.

He opened the door to see a pair of familiar faces. One he remembered was Peter, but the other he only knew by their last name. It was Scott’s father, Agent McCall.

“I thought you were going to keep us waiting out here forever.” Peter pushed his way inside.

Agent McCall rolled his eyes and followed Peter in, “Theo right? Scott said we’d be meeting-- Oh, there you are. Hey Liam.”

McCall stepped forward and offered a hand to Liam who tentatively shook it. Theo turned to shut the door and couldn’t help but admire the sportscar that was now parked in the driveway. That admiration was cut short when he saw Peter going through the fridge like it was his.

“You two must be Corey and Mason.” McCall noted.

“Yes, sir.” Corey said awkwardly.

“You can just call me Rafe, it’s fine. I’m not here in an official capacity anyway.”

“Oh thank god.” Mason was relieved.

Peter had pulled himself away from the fridge and joined the group. Theo watched him cautiously. Peter had noticed because he turned to Theo and raised a hand like he was holding an invisible cup.

“Could you get me a glass of ice water?” Peter pointed to his empty hand.

Theo glared at him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Liam urging him to be nice. And while he wasn’t planning to play waiter today, he didn’t want to undermine Liam’s authority. He banged around the kitchen getting the glass and the ice and made it a point to use water from the tap before finally handing the glass to Peter.

“See, now that wasn’t so hard was it?” Peter smirked.

Theo was about to punch him in the face when he felt Liam’s hands on his arm. He glared at Peter’s face, imagining what it would feel like to break his nose. The only thing keeping him from that feeling was that he knew Liam would care if he did it.

“So, we hear you have a hunter problem.” Peter set the glass down on the kitchen island.

Liam stepped up, “Didn’t Scott tell you?”

“Yeah, Monroe. So, what’s your plan?”

“We’re working on that.”

“So, how are we going to kill her, if you--”

Liam was quick to cut him off, “We’re not killing her. She’s going to prison.”

“She does have a few warrants.” Rafe nodded.

“Ugh, you’re definitely Scott’s beta.” Peter rolled his eyes.

Theo really, really wanted to punch him. He could almost hear the sound of Peter’s nose crunching under his fist. He felt like Peter’s face could use some adjustments, like some bruises or blood.

“Yeah, and he sent you here to help us. So, maybe you could try actually being helpful for once.” Liam sneered.

Rafe laughed, not at Liam, but with him, “He’s got you all figured out.”

“I’m going to make some phone calls. Let me know when you actually have a plan.” Peter pulled out his phone and stepped back out the front door.

“What a prick.” Theo stared at the front door.

“I can still hear you.” Peter shouted from outside.

“Good.”

Liam was nudging him again, still using that ‘please behave’ look. Theo shrugged and gave a small shake of his head. For some reason Liam grinned at him.

“You’re kind of a prick too, you know.” Liam chuckled.

“Yeah, but at least I’m the helpful kind.”

Liam leaned up and kissed his cheek, “That’s true.”

“Well, I guess I’m the odd man out here.” Rafe looked around at the three couples, “Alright, so catch me up on what’s happened so far. Be as detailed as you can.”

Liam explained what happened at the mall and talked about the new strain of wolfsbane. Corey told him what he saw when he went into the hideout with Nolan. Then Liam let Nolan and Alec talk about what happened to them when they were kidnapped. The whole time Rafe had his phone out, tapping out notes and occasionally asking them to pause so he could add details.

“Alright, I’m going to look this over,” Rafe glanced at the mattresses in the living room, “I’ll take Peter to get motel rooms somewhere. Maybe you can warn Melissa that I’m back in town?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Liam nodded.

Rafe stepped outside and after a bit they heard an engine start up. The sound of the sports car peeling out followed. It had gotten pretty late and as Theo looked around he could see how tired they all were.

“See you guys in the morning.” Liam had grabbed onto Theo’s forearm and was already dragging him upstairs.

* * *

Liam was pacing in Theo’s room. He’d been doing that ever since he’d dragged Theo up there. He hadn’t really intended to, but once he was alone with Theo, he was also alone with his thoughts.

“Do you think he doesn’t think I can handle this?” Liam muttered.

Theo shrugged, “He probably asked a few people and just sent who said yes.”

Liam wanted to believe that. The fact that Peter and Rafe had come together made that difficult to do. Why would he send Peter anyways? He was barely helpful in the best of times. Oh, yeah. He asked for the bottom of Scott’s list.

“But they came together.” Liam huffed.

As he continued to pace, Theo stood up from the bed and walked closer. When his small loop had him walking away from Theo again he was suddenly caught in a hug. Theo’s arms wrapped around his chest and stomach keeping him from wearing his route into the floor.

Theo whispered into his ear, “Liam, you are driving me nuts. Pacing time is over. Worrying time is over. You’re coming to bed.”

“But, he thinks--”

Liam squeaked as Theo’s teeth grazed his ear, sending a small shiver through him, “Stop caring what he thinks. He’s not here.”

“Yeah, but two--”

This time Theo’s teeth had traveled down to his neck, nipping at the tender skin, “Two people that are following your lead, little wolf.”

“Oh, you’re right.” Liam smiled then.

It was true. Rafe, who was an actual FBI agent, a literal authority, had just asked for information and wasn’t trying to tell them what to do. Even Peter’s moment of resistance was pretty quickly quelled. Maybe this was going better than he thought.

“Of course I’m right. So, can I actually have my boyfriend back?” Theo’s warm breath was tracing over his neck.

Liam leaned his head back against Theo’s shoulder, baring his neck. Theo took the invitation, teeth lightly scraping over the softer skin. Liam melted back against him, a slight moan on his breath.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

Theo’s hands were under Liam’s shirt for only a moment before lifting it off and over his head. Then they slipped just inside the top of his jeans, popping the button and pulling the zipper apart. One of the hands slid back up Liam’s chest, keeping his back pressed against Theo. The other lingered where the jeans had just been opened, pressed firmly against the elastic of Liam’s boxers.

Liam used his feet to try to pry off his jeans. He could hear Theo chuckling right in his ear, but he didn’t care. He just wanted the denim gone. It took a few tries, but eventually the pants were just a pile on the floor.

He felt vulnerable then, basically naked compared to Theo and happily trapped in his arms. His blood was starting to rush through his body, causing a tent to form in his boxers. A tent just an inch away from one of Theo’s hands.

Theo’s lips dragged back up from his neck to brush against his ear, “My little wolf is enjoying himself I see.”

He was. He definitely was. He asked himself just how much he was willing to let himself enjoy this, but still didn’t have a clear answer in his head. Maybe it was time to just get clumsy.

“Theo?” Liam whispered.

Theo’s chuckle in his ear was oddly comforting, “Yes, little wolf?”

“Would you mind if I slept without my boxers tonight?”

“Not in the least.”

Liam wrapped his hand over Theo’s, the one at his waist. He tucked their thumbs into his boxers, gripping them. He gently pushed down and Theo took the hint, dragging them far enough that they fell at his feet, beside his crumpled jeans.

If Liam had felt vulnerable before, he was helpless now. There was literally nothing between him and Theo. No way to hide how he felt or to deny that every touch and kiss from Theo made him quiver with excitement.

Another whisper from Theo flowed across Liam’s ear, “Mind if I join you?”

“Please.” Liam didn’t mean for it to sound like begging.

“Why don’t you help me out then.”

Theo’s grip loosened, allowing Liam to turn to face him. He looked up into Theo’s eyes, not realizing he was biting his lip until it slipped back out from between his teeth. Theo’s eyebrow arched with expectation and Liam remembered what he’d been asked to do.

He pushed Theo’s shirt up and off, tossing it down beside his own discarded clothes. He expected to see a smirk on Theo’s face, but instead the expression he found was soft. It was almost as if Theo could see just how helpless he felt.

He fumbled with Theo’s jeans, not quite getting the button off. He was starting to get frustrated when Theo’s hands came down and held his, a reminder to slow down. His next attempt did the trick and soon the quiet sound of zipper teeth coming apart followed. Theo made taking off the jeans seem so much easier than when Liam had kicked off his own. Liam slid his fingertips into the elastic band of Theo’s briefs, less tentatively than he had that morning. He hooked it and pulled them towards the floor where they fell amid Theo’s pants.

Liam saw all of Theo, letting himself really look, and every inch of him was as gorgeous as he expected. He worried whether Theo saw him that way too, but when he saw the hungry look in Theo’s eyes he knew he didn’t need to. Theo picked him up, carrying him to the bed. As soon as they hit the sheets, Theo’s lips were on his, kissing him with the same intensity Liam had seen in his eyes.

He had been right, they were definitely clumsy at this. Hands groping at each other wildly. Skin pressed to skin. All moans and grunts, having forgotten words were even an option.

Theo made him feel like no one ever had. Liam could sense the way he wanted him in every touch. They fell into a natural rhythm, just like when they’d fought together, instincts guiding them. Their bodies moved in unexpected harmonies until they reached their crescendos. Liam’s song ending moments before Theo’s.

As the two of them lay there still playfully teasing each other, Liam mentally kicked himself for worrying. Theo had definitely enjoyed it. Even now, in the aftermath of them fooling around, both of them were all smiles and laughter. Eventually, Liam would fall asleep enjoying the feeling of nothing between them, both physically and metaphorically.

* * *

Nolan was laying beside Alec on the air mattress and staring up at the ceiling. He'd gotten himself wound up again when he had to tell his side of events from the old Argent compound. He kept thinking about how there were people out there that literally wanted to kill all of his friends and he couldn't decide if he was sad or angry, but he was definitely frustrated.

He knew Alec could tell, but wasn't forcing him to talk about it. Instead, Alec was gently massaging his scalp and watching his face. Nolan enjoyed the attention and normally it would have helped him fall asleep, but tonight he was too anxious.

“Do you think we’ll be ok?” Nolan whispered.

Alec turned to rest his forehead against Nolan’s temple and whispered right into his ear, “Yes.”

“I wish I could be as confident as you.”

“Do you believe me?”

“Of course.”

“Then we’ll be fine.”

“But, are you--”

“We’ll be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”

Nolan wondered if Alec actually believed what he was saying. He believed him, but at the same time he wasn’t sure this was as simple as Alec was making it out to be. They still didn’t even have a plan yet.

“Ok, but what if--”

Nolan was silenced by a kiss from Alec. This wasn’t the first time this had happened when he’d nervously rambled. Like the other times, he fell into the kiss, forgetting what he was talking about, forgetting there was anything but the soft lips and sweet boy attached to them.

Alec was grinning, “No ‘what if’s.”

“Fine...”

“So, let me distract you.”

Alec’s hand trailed from Nolan’s cheek down to his chest and then his stomach, stopping at the top of his pants. Soft snoring came from the mattress on the other side of the couch, letting them know Corey and Mason had already passed out. Nolan bit his lip. He definitely liked when Alec was more assertive and he had enjoyed their shower earlier, but he was still a little nervous about taking their affection past kissing, dry humping and groping.

Alec was still watching Nolan’s face as his fingertips slid under the edge of Nolan's pants and wiggled their way under the band of the briefs underneath. Nolan knew that Alec was waiting to see if he’d stop him, but tonight, after retelling everything they’d been through he didn’t think he would. The fingers dug a little deeper and Nolan couldn’t think of anything else.

He looked right at Alec, lip still held between his teeth and gave a slow nod. The fingers brushed through the curls of hair until they found what they were looking for. Nolan sucked his lip in further to try to avoid making a sound, but a fragmented whimper of a moan still came out.

He let Alec distract him and, under Alec’s guidance, did some distracting of his own. Both of them ended up with their pants around their thighs, buttons and zippers undone. At one point Alec had to clamp a hand over Nolan’s mouth to keep him from waking up the others and even then Nolan worried he’d still been too loud.

They ended up falling asleep afterwards. Nolan had bunched Alec’s shirt up around the top of his chest so he could lay his head on the bare skin of his chest. The whole house was quiet except for some soft snores. Nolan barely stirred when Melissa crept in and quietly snuck her way to her own room.

Hours later, the sounds of chatter from the kitchen would wake him back up. He could hear and smell some cooking happening too. Nolan went to uncover them and Alec quickly stopped him, hands then moving to refasten their pants. Nolan blushed realizing what he’d almost done.

“Is Liam coming down soon?” Mason’s voice came from the kitchen.

“He will. The smell of food always wakes him up.” Theo was, of course, the one cooking.

“Good ‘cause I might have an idea.”

“Might?”

“Well, it’s an idea. I just don’t know if it’s a good one or not.”

“It sounds good to me.” Corey said.

“Thanks hun.”

Alec and Nolan finally got to the kitchen in time to catch Corey and Mason share a small peck behind Theo’s back. Corey had Mason’s hand in his while they sat side by side at the kitchen island. Nolan pulled a couple stools around for him and Alec so they could sit somewhere that would be out of Theo’s way.

“Morning.” Corey gave a small wave.

“Morning.” Alec and Nolan said together.

Mason tilted his head a little, “You two look happy.”

“Just slept really well last night.” Alec rubbed Nolan’s back for a moment.

Nolan saw Theo turn his head to the side and lift his nose to the air a little. He’d seen this before when he and Liam had been tracking by scent. He wondered if they stunk for a moment before Theo smiled and chuckled to himself, then went back to his cooking.

Nolan leaned over to whisper in Alec ear, “Do we smell like something?”

Alec sniffed at Nolan for a moment. His eyebrows raised, but he didn’t stop sniffing. He turned to sniff in Theo’s direction and a look of realization dawned on his face.

Alec whispered back, “Nothing he doesn’t smell like too.”

“Wait, what do we smell like?” Nolan wrinkled his brow.

“Each other.” Alec grinned.

“So, he smells like-- Oh.” Nolan squinted for a moment as the understanding set in, “Oh...”

“What are you two whispering about?” Mason tried to catch their gaze.

“Nothing.” Alec said too quickly.

Nolan could feel himself blushing. He didn’t feel guilty about last night as he had definitely enjoyed it, but he had felt a little weird doing things with the other couple so close by. He was worried Mason might have worked out their secret just by looking at them, but, thankfully, Liam plodding down the stairs became a new distraction.

“Morning Liam!” Corey waved again.

“Morning!” Liam replied cheerfully.

“Why is everyone so happy this morning?” Mason scanned the room.

“Oh, uh, no reason.” Liam shrugged and scratched the back of his neck.

Mason gasped, “You didn’t!”

“Didn’t what?” Liam looked everywhere but Mason’s face.

“You know what! And with us right downstairs?”

Theo chuckled, turned and gestured towards Nolan, “At least we were upstairs.”

Mason turned to Alec and Nolan, “You too?”

Nolan wasn’t meeting his gaze and neither was Alec, but Nolan did stammer out a response, “I, uh, don’t know what you’re, um, talking about.”

“Ok, no, we’re taking a long shower today.” Mason shook his head, “Unbelievable.”

“Just don’t use up all the hot water.” Theo shrugged and started putting food on plates.

There was silence as they all started eating. No one was really looking at anyone, except for small grins shared between couples. When the food was mostly gone, they finally found the courage to make eye contact again.

“So, what’s this idea Mason?” Theo seemed to be the most unaffected by the situation.

“Oh, yeah. Liam, I was thinking, since these are hunters, maybe we reach out to Chris?” Mason shrugged.

“I tried that, he hasn’t answered any of my texts or calls.” Liam sighed, fork clattering onto his plate as he finished the last bite of breakfast.

“Damn, ok.”

Footfalls on the stairs let them know Melissa was joining them, “Hey, I hope there’s some of that left for me?”

“Yep, there’s some in the microwave.” Theo confirmed.

“I’ll be right back then.” Melissa disappeared into the kitchen.

“So, any other ideas?” Liam asked

“Not really. Sorry.” Mason shrugged.

Melissa returned from the kitchen and took an empty seat, “So, any updates? I haven’t seen anything weird at the hospital, just so you know.”

Liam pushed his plate a little, “No, we’re not really sure what to do next. Maybe Rafe and Peter will have an idea.”

“I’m sorry did you just say Rafe?” Melissa glared at Liam, “He’s back in town?”

“Uh, yeah.” Liam looked at the others for help.

“Scott sent him.” Nolan offered.

“Then he could have warned me.” Melissa shook her head.

“He didn’t really warn any of us. Just said he’d send someone.” Liam leaned against the back of his chair and crossed his arms, “Though Rafe did ask me to warn you he was here, so this counts, right?”

“Sure.” Melissa laughed and shrugged it off, “Interesting choice, I guess. You said Peter is here too? Why didn’t he send Stiles back or someone actually in his pack?”

“I asked him to send people at the bottom of his list. People Monroe wouldn’t expect.”

Melissa laughed, and not just a small laugh, a big boisterous one, “Now that, that’s hilarious. And makes me feel a lot better.”

“You’re welcome?” Liam shrugged.

“Alright, I’m gonna take a bath. Good luck with your new help.” Melissa left her dishes on the table and laughed again on the way up to her bedroom.

Liam looked around the table and like everyone else Nolan just shrugged back. He started gathering up everyone’s dirty dishes and Alec helped him carry everything to the kitchen. Liam nodded to them as they left the dining room, Nolan smiled briefly and nodded back.

In the kitchen Nolan started working on the dishes and Alec helped dry them off. Nolan wondered if there was anything he could do to help. He was so focused on trying to remember any little detail he could from his time with Monroe he hadn’t realized he’d already washed everything until he reached for dishes that weren’t there.

“You ok?” Alec asked, setting the last dish on the drying rack.

“Yeah... no... I just wish I had some way to help.”

“At least you’ve been able to do something. I’m new to all of this.” Alec frowned.

“Yeah, but you’re a werewolf. You can at least help fight them.”

“Don’t act like you haven’t had some training. And lacrosse has definitely kept you in shape.” Alec smirked and looked Nolan up and down in a way that made him blush.

“Yeah, I guess.” Nolan looked down at the ground.

Alec stepped forward, putting his hands on Nolan’s hips, “So, shower together again?”

“Yes please.” Nolan smiled as he looked back up at Alec.

* * *

Theo lay back on the bed with Liam right beside him. They were waiting for their turn to take a shower. Nolan and Alec had snuck in first somehow, but now Corey and Mason were in there.

“He wasn’t kidding.” Theo groaned.

“Yeah, I guess not.” Liam shrugged.

“They’re going to use up all the hot water.” Theo glared at the ceiling.

Liam nuzzled his ear, “Well, we could just wait a little while longer to take one.”

“That’s... a good point.” Theo pulled Liam on top of him.

Liam chuckled as he straddled Theo’s waist, “Besides, I kind of like the way we smell right now.”

“You and me both.” 

Theo pulled Liam down onto his chest, drawing a long slow breath in through his nose. Theo’s scent was all over him and something about that made him feel incredible. It was like they really belonged to each other now. He wasn’t looking forward to washing it away.

He chuckled as he could feel Liam taking deep breaths while his nose was buried in his chest. Theo smiled up at the ceiling while he rubbed Liam’s back. He wondered how long they could stay locked away in his room before the others started to care.

“Theo?” Liam whispered.

Theo chuckled, already ready for the question, “Yes, little wolf?”

“Thank you for last night.”

Huh, not a question this time, “I’m pretty sure I should be thanking you.”

“It was kind of a first for both of us though.”

“True, but I think we figured things out well enough.”

Liam sat back up, straddling Theo’s lap again, “Yeah, you’re right. It was actually kind of amazing.”

“Oh, I know. And you’re welcome.” Theo smirked and winked.

Liam rolled his eyes and playfully punched at his shoulder, “You don’t have to be cocky about everything.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t exactly work if I’m not.”

Theo raised his eyebrows at Liam, waiting for him to realize his pun. Another eye roll and half-hearted punch later and Liam had collapsed back on top of him. Theo closed his eyes and focused only on their mingled scents.

“I wish we could just stay in bed all day.” Liam whispered.

“We could. I’m sure they can fend for themselves.” Theo figured he could risk the kitchen burning down if it meant more alone time with Liam.

“You know I can’t do that. Not right now anyway.”

“Ah the responsibilities of leadership.” Theo chuckled and ruffled Liam’s hair a bit.

“Yeah.” Liam kind of sighed out the word.

“You’re doing great. You’ve always been better at being a leader than you think.”

“Thank you.”

Theo could smell the relief on Liam, a nice change from the bit of worry. Theo ignored the sound of the shower shutting off, opting instead to wait like Liam had mentioned. They lay there together for a while. Theo enjoyed these quiet moments where they didn’t really feel the need to talk. He wasn’t against talking, but he was glad they never felt like they had to fill the silence. They were comfortable enough just being together.

Liam’s phone buzzed, vibrating both of them. Theo watched him fish it out of his pocket and check the screen. Worry and confusion made lines on Liam’s forehead.

“What’s wrong?” Theo asked.

“It’s the Sheriff. He wants us to come by the station again.”

“Ok, did he say anything else?” Theo touched Liam’s arm.

“Just that it’s urgent.”

“So, no time for even a quick shower then?”

“No. Let me text Rafe. I’ll have them meet us there.” Liam was already tapping away on his phone.

No shower was fine by Theo. He was still enjoying how they smelled so much like each other right now. He was already looking forward to the next time. He even took a few long slow sniffs at Liam as he finished his text just to take in more of it.

Liam popped up off of Theo and then off of the bed. “Alright, let’s go find out what this is about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is still doing alright. <3  
> Would love to hear what you've liked or haven't about this story so far.


	26. A Message

Nolan was the last one out of the truck. He’d been squeezed between Alec and Mason in the back seat again. During that time he’d decided he preferred snuggles that weren’t forced.

Liam rushed them into the sheriff’s station and they were quickly called into Sheriff Stilinski’s office. The door was shut behind them and four adults were waiting inside. The sheriff of course, his deputy Parrish, Rafe and Peter were all clustered at the desk. Nolan could see there were files spread across the sheriff’s desk, but he couldn’t tell if they were relevant to this meeting. Stilinski nodded to Parrish who closed the blinds on the windows.

“I need to show you kids something. I have to warn you though, it’s not pretty.” Stilinski stepped back around his desk.

“They’ve seen worse.” Peter shrugged.

“That doesn’t make it better.” the sheriff sat in his chair with a sigh.

Peter and Rafe stepped aside and Liam approached the desk first. He slowly scanned the open files and covered his mouth with a hand. Nolan could hear the audible gulp as he moved up with the rest of them.

The photos caught his eye first. They were crime scene photos and at first Nolan couldn’t really tell what was going on in them. There was so much black and red. When he started to make out the truth about them, his stomach turned. Bodies propped up on display, headless bodies. The heads mounted on spikes above them. Crude spray painting underneath detailed the type of supernatural that had been murdered.

Nolan’s stomach flipped again and his breakfast came back up. Parrish had quickly snatched Stilinki’s wastebasket and Alec had turned him towards it. He felt a hand rubbing his back as his stomach emptied. A second wave brought up nothing but bile. Rafe handed Alec some tissues and he offered them to Nolan. A trembling hand snatched some up and he wiped his mouth before stumbling over to a seat against the wall of the office. A seat where he couldn’t see the photos anymore.

Nolan tore another tissue from the small pack and wiped his now wet eyes. He’d heard the hunters talk about killing supernaturals, but he’d never seen it. It was worse than he could have imagined. After he swallowed back what he was sure would have just been dry heaving, he started to hear the conversation going on in the room.

“This is obviously a message.” Rafe said.

“You’re right, more right than you realize.” Stilinski opened another manilla folder.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Peter grumbled.

“This was spray painted on the road in front of the bodies.” The sheriff tossed a photo on top of the pile.

Liam picked it up and looked at it, “‘They’re still here’.”

Stilinski crossed his arms, “Thankfully, we caught this early, but they must have tipped off the media. There were already some reporters taking photos when we got there. We asked them to hold off on reporting it for now, but that won’t last long.”

“She’s trying to turn people against us again.” Liam sounded angry.

“Well, this time she doesn’t have the anuk-ite to help.” Theo put a hand on Liam’s shoulder.

“Or Gerard.” Stilinski reminded them.

“You need to let us onto that crime scene.” Peter demanded.

“Hold on now, I’m already doing what I can to help you.” Stilinski leaned forward.

“I’m a federal agent, you could let me on.” Rafe insisted.

“Well, you can’t exactly sniff out who did this, now can you?” Peter tilted his head at Rafe.

“No, but maybe they missed something.” Rafe countered.

“You are not seriously standing in my office saying that my deputies didn’t do their jobs.” Stilinski was starting to raise his voice.

Rafe shook his head, “They don’t have the same level of training--”

The sheriff interrupted him, “Are you kidding me?! I’m trying to help you and--”

“Stop!” Liam growled angrily.

A hush fell over the room. Liam was glaring up at each of the three men. Alec who’d been trying to comfort Nolan had turned his attention to Liam. In fact everyone in the room seemed to be waiting on what he’d say next.

“You’re supposed to be the adults here. Act like it!” Liam wasn’t exactly shouting, but his voice definitely wasn’t level.

Rafe stopped and seemed to soak in this statement, nodding slowly. Peter, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and crossed his arms defensively. The sheriff sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“Showing us the files is really the best you can do?” Liam asked.

Stilinski spoke cautiously, “The media’s all over the crime scene still, we can’t have them recording strangers going in.”

“That makes sense.” Rafe admitted.

“But if they didn’t see anything, that would be ok?” Liam asked.

“What exactly are you getting at?” Peter narrowed his eyes.

“We’ll go then.” Liam clearly wasn’t asking.

“And how are you planning to do that?” Rafe raised an eyebrow.

“Corey.” Liam turned to him.

Corey looked confused for a moment before Liam gestured again insistently. Corey nodded and grabbed Mason’s shoulder. Then the two of them faded out of sight for a moment before fading back in.

“Ok...” The sheriff blinked slowly a couple times before shrugging and letting out a heavy sigh.

“No one will know we’re there.” Liam looked between the sheriff and Parrish.

Parrish exchanged a look with Stilinski, “Fine, I’ll drive you out there.”

“Meet back here?” Rafe asks.

The sheriff responds quickly, “No.”

“Then we’ll meet back at my place.” Theo rolls his eyes when he gets weird looks, “Melissa’s.”

“Alright, let’s go.” Parrish spins his keys and heads out of the office.

Nolan looked up to see Corey reassuring Mason with a look before following Liam and Parrish out the door. Alec looked at him with concern, but Nolan swallowed and offered a nod to let him know he was ok, at least, ok to move. They followed Theo out to his truck and this time the back seat is all theirs, but Nolan isn’t taking advantage of the space. He clung onto Alec trying to push the images from the photos out of his mind.

He couldn’t close his eyes or he’d keep seeing the bodies. Instead he stared at the fabric of Alec’s shirt. Nolan’s head is pressed firmly against his chest, so he can make sure he can hear the heart beating underneath. He wanted the constant reminder that Alec is indeed alive and not one of the three that was on display.

The ride was silent except for the low volume of the radio. Nolan didn’t really think about how the music wasn’t his favorite, he just thought about how he wanted all of this to be over. He also thought about how he felt useless right now.

The truck shut off and he realized they were back at Melissa’s. As he sat upright he could see that Peter and Rafe had beaten them there. And that Melissa must have let them in because they’re not anywhere outside.

Alec guided him into the house, still watching him carefully. Nolan felt empty and not just because his stomach literally was, but the reality of their situation had finally sunk in. Monroe was a bigger monster than he had ever known. He’d only ever heard of her intentions before, but now her actions had been laid out before him.

It only served to remind him of his own actions. He’d been afraid for his life, but wasn’t sure that an excuse for the things he almost did and definitely not sure it applied to the things he’d actually done. He was wondering if the vial of wolfsbane he’d almost thrown would have been worse than what he saw in those photos. How badly the anuk-ite’s victims had suffered before they were put in the freezer, the victims who’s outings had started with his pen.

Alec guided him past the kitchen where Theo, Mason, Peter and Rafe were talking and to their bed in the living room. Nolan couldn’t focus on anything, couldn’t make out the words he was hearing. He just clung to Alec and listened to his heart, a heart he was worried might no longer be beating by the end of this.

\--------------------------

Theo watched as Alec drug Nolan to the living room. The kid had looked basically catatonic since he’d puked in Stilinski’s office. The photos were kind of gorey, but Theo didn’t think they were that bad. He shrugged and turned back to the conversation, a conversation that Melissa had already retreated from to go back to her bedroom.

“I hate not being there.” Mason was wringing his hands.

“They’re literally invisible, I’m sure they’ll be fine.” Peter seemed unaffected by the whole situation.

Theo caught Mason’s eyes and gave him a small nod, “He’s with Liam, he’ll be fine.”

“I hope they find something, there wasn’t much to go off from what was in those files.” Rafe had his hand on his chin, staring down at the floor.

\--beep beep beep

“Hey, think you could get me a drink?” Peter gestured to Theo.

He glared back, “No, get it yourself.”

“Come on we’re guests, how am I supposed to know where anything is?”

\--beep beep beep

“You were comfortable enough going through the fridge last night, I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

“Can’t blame a guy for being curious.”

“Yes. I can.” Theo crossed his arms.

\--beep beep beep

“What the hell is that sound?” Peter growled.

The beeping had been coming from the living room. When Theo rounded the corner Nolan was holding his phone in shaky hands and Alec was trying to take it from him. Theo arched a curious eyebrow at them.

“His phone’s dying again.” Alec shook his head.

“Really? He hasn’t even had it out today.” Theo squinted at it.

\--beep beep beep

“He charged it last night too. Just hasn’t held a charge since Corey found it in that bunker.”

“Maybe something happened to the battery.”

Rafe had come up behind him, “found it in the bunker?”

“Yeah, after we saved them. It was sitting on one of the shelves.”

\--beep beep beep

“Give me the phone.”

Alec tugged the phone away from Nolan who just slumped against him. He held it out and Theo grabbed it from him before handing it to Rafe. The phone started to beep again and he tapped something on the screen, stopping it.

He went back to the kitchen and popped the locks on his briefcase. When it opened, Theo could see a laptop nestled inside. Rafe opened and booted it up, finding a cable in one of the pockets and plugging it into the laptop and then the phone.

“What’s going on?” Mason looked worried.

“Theo might be right, it could be battery damage, but it could be a tracking app.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, though, with this much battery drain it would be pretty crude.”

Rafe opened a program on the laptop and Theo saw that it said something about scanning. There was a progress bar, but it was moving incredibly slowly. He found a timer on the screen, almost two hours before it would finish.

“Wait, but if it’s a tracking app...” Mason started.

“Then they already know where we are.” Peter finished.

“And they have known for days.” Rafe nodded.

“And if they were going to make a move on us, they would have by now.” Theo looked around the room.

“That’s true too.” Rafe pushed the briefcase away from the edge of the kitchen island.

“So, what the hell do we do now?”

“First, find out if any of this is true. Second, if it is, find out where the tracking information is going.”

Peter had moved to the window, scanning what he could see of the outside. Mason had gotten his phone out and was typing up a text. Rafe pulled a stool in front of the laptop and took a seat. Theo thought about updating Alec and Nolan, but something felt wrong about telling them, especially with how Nolan was right now.

Instead, he started cooking. He hated waiting and since there was nothing he could do to rush things he needed to distract himself. So he started the process for chicken soup. All of the prep and cook time would occupy most of the next hour or so. Hopefully, Liam and Corey would be back by then.

\------------------------------------

Liam looked at the world around them with it’s sickly green tint. Corey had turned them invisible a couple blocks away from the crime scene. Parrish finally parked beside another cruiser, getting out and then acting like he needed to look for something in the back seat so the two of them could get out without raising any suspicion.

They stayed close, following him to the police tape and ducking under it when he lifted it to go under himself. At that point they broke away, Liam and Corey tightly gripping each other’s arms just in case. Parrish seemed to be checking in with the other deputies on the scene.

The first thing that hit Liam’s nose was the blood. An awful mix of copper and salt with the terrible tinge of the new wolfsbane alongside it. It explained the dark splotches mixed in with the dark reds from the photos.

The bodies were gone and he was thankful for that. The photos were bad enough, he wasn’t sure how he’d have reacted if he saw them in person. He might have even lost his lunch like Nolan. He wondered for a moment if his vomit would suddenly show up if he got sick while invisible, but then reminded himself they were here for a reason.

He tried to smell past the scent of the blood but it was stronger than anything else. Underneath, he eventually found the smell of the police at the scene and then a vague hint of bleach. He grumbled when he realized the hunters had essentially blacked out their scent with chemicals. So much for that idea.

He scanned the scene looking for anything that might have been missed, but there was nothing left but bloodstains and spray paint. He’d really hoped for a break, but nothing seemed to be going their way. Maybe he’d been stupid to keep Scott out of this. He shook his head and reminded himself that keeping Scott safe was part of his plan. The alpha had barely survived his encounters with the hunters before and with their new weapon there was a much bigger risk. Besides, playing into Monroe’s hands was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Are you seeing anything? Or smelling anything?” Corey whispered.

Liam shook his head, “No.”

“Let’s just double check to be sure.” Corey urged him back around the scene.

It felt more like triple checking, honestly. Liam had even forced his shift to get the most out of his werewolf senses. Another circle around the crime scene still ended with nothing. Maybe the sheriff’s team had found some evidence already and Parrish would catch them up.

They headed back to the deputy’s side and tugged on his belt. He excused himself from his conversation with the other deputy, insisting he needed to get back to the station. Another duck under the police line and he was letting them back into the back seat of the cruiser. After they distanced themselves from the scene, Liam and Corey finally let go of each other.

“So, did you find anything?” Parrish kept his eyes on the road.

“Nothing.” Liam huffed.

“If we find something I’ll make sure you know.”

“Good, I was going to ask. I’ll text you if there’s anything from our end.”

“Honestly, I’m kind of surprised you guys never reached out to me.” Parrish looked at him through the rearview mirror.

“Wasn’t sure you’d want to be a part of any of this anymore.”

“I don’t really have a choice, Liam. They’re hunting all supernaturals, they’d come for me eventually.”

“I guess you’re right, just didn’t think you worried about that, I guess.”

“They killed the only other hellhound I’ve ever even heard of. Granted it might have been a fluke, but they know what to try.”

Liam hadn’t really thought about that. In his mind Parrish was basically unstoppable. He’d tangled with a hellhound before, the same one Parrish was talking about, but he was convinced he’d only ‘won’ that fight because the hellhound hadn’t wanted to keep fighting. He didn’t realize Parrish was afraid of the hunters too. If not afraid, at least concerned.

“I’ll make absolutely sure to text you. I promise.” Liam made sure they had a moment of eye contact through the mirror when he said the last two words.

“Thanks.”

“Mason’s probably a mess right now.” Corey mumbled staring out the window.

Liam wouldn’t have really understood that a couple weeks ago. Now, he knew exactly what he meant. As much as Theo played it cool, he knew that he worried about him. He had caught the little moments of relief when Theo finally saw him after they’d been apart.

And Liam hadn’t really hid his own worry, of course. He’d begged Theo not to go to work so he was safe, so the hunters couldn’t snatch him while he was alone. He was glad Theo had actually listened.

“Are you doing ok?” Liam asked.

“Yeah, I’m just... glad I can help.” Corey’s gaze wandered back from the window.

“You’re doing great, you know that right?”

Half of a smile curled up Corey’s cheek, “That’s good to hear.”

“And, actually, thanks for stepping up. I know I didn’t exactly ask back there. Sorry about that.”

Corey nodded quietly, and turned back to his window. Liam caught Parrish nodding as he glanced in the rearview. He didn’t really need the approval, but it still felt nice. He was starting to think he could actually do what he was supposed to. That he could actually protect Beacon Hills.

Parrish dropped them off at Melissa’s. Liam thanked him for his help, reassured him again that he would keep him updated, and then couldn’t help but rush back into the house. As soon as he opened the door the smell of food hit his nose. In the kitchen, Theo was chopping vegetables, Rafe was sitting in front of a laptop, and Mason was already hugging Corey. Peter was nowhere to be found, but around the corner Liam could see Nolan clinging to Alec, clearly still shaken by what he’d seen earlier.

“What’s all this?” Liam gestured to the laptop.

Rafe’s eyebrows rose for a moment, “I’m checking Nolan’s phone. Just making sure they didn’t do something to it. We still have a while before we’ll know for sure.”

Liam saw the progress bar was a little more than halfway across with almost an hour left before it would end. He felt like this is something he should have been suspicious of, but didn’t know how he would have known. He wasn’t even sure what kinds of things someone could do to a phone.

“What do you think they did?”

Rafe was keeping his voice low, “Well, it’s possible they put a tracking app on it. There’s a chance there’s other stuff, but a tracker would be the main concern.”

“So they might know where we are?” Liam’s voice rose.

“Maybe. He could just have a faulty battery. We won’t know anything until this is done.” Rafe tapped the screen.

“Great.” Liam turned to Theo, “Do you need any help?”

Theo scraped some chopped celery off the side of his knife and into a bowl, “Need? No. Want... still no. People need to eat, so...” Theo gestured to the food in progress.

“Ok, can I stop you for a sec?” Liam bit his lip and skirted his way around the side of the island.

Theo set down the knife, “Sure.”

Liam hugged him, tight. Theo hugged back, not quite as tight. Liam nuzzled into his chest for a moment before tilting his lips up to Theo’s ear.

“You’ll probably think this is dumb, but... I missed you.”

Theo’s lips brushed his ear, “I missed you too, little wolf. I’m glad you’re ok.”

Liam pulled back from the hug with a smile. Theo went back to work on whatever it was he was cooking, the knife thunking against the cutting board in an even rhythm. Rafe was still babysitting the laptop. Corey and Mason were gone now, they must have slipped away while Liam stole his hug. There were feet coming down the stairs, too heavy to be Melissa’s, so Liam assumed they belonged to Peter.

“Oh, still not done I see.” Peter scoffed when he came back into the kitchen.

“You knew this was going to take two hours.” Rafe shrugged.

“I was talking about the food.”

Theo shot Peter a glare and the sound of the knife coming down got louder. Liam was starting to wonder why Peter was considered an ally, but he was definitely not wondering why he was one of Scott’s last choices for help. In that moment, he decided he wouldn’t ask Theo to hold back anymore.

“It’ll be ready when it’s ready.” Theo grumbled.

“Fine. So touchy.” Peter turned to Liam, “Is there anything to do in this house?”

“Watch TV or keep yourself entertained with your phone.” Liam shrugged.

“I guess that’s one up on the loft.” Peter pulled out his phone and turned his attention to it.

Liam was glad Peter had stopped before he really instigated something with Theo. Unfortunately, he was right, there really wasn’t much of anything to do down here. Liam considered his phone, but all the people he wanted to talk to were already here.

“Mind if I go up to your room?” Liam asked Theo.

“Of course not.” Theo quirked an eyebrow at him.

“Let me know when this is all done?” Liam gestured to the whole kitchen situation.

“You know I will.”

Peter mumbled condescendingly as Liam headed up the stairs, “Aww, just the picture of domestic bliss.”

“You know, if you weren’t such a dick all the time you might be able to have some bliss of your own.” Theo shot back.

Peter’s response kind of surprised Liam, “Fair.”

Liam stepped into Theo’s room and breathed in deep. Theo’s scent dominated the space, but Liam caught a hint of himself as well. He wanted to curl up against Theo, but he knew that Theo needed to keep himself busy right now, so he settled for grabbing one of Theo’s shirts from the hamper.

He held the piece of clothing up to his nose and breathed in deep. A wave of relaxation washed over him. He decided to pull off his own shirt for the day and slip into the one in his hands. Pleasantly surrounded by Theo’s scent he booted up the TV and console and decided to play some games while he waited for lunch and some answers.

\---------------------------------------

Nolan wondered how Alec was able to deal with him. He’d been clinging to him for the last hour and a half and Alec hadn’t so much as asked to shift or move. He just quietly kept an arm around him.

Nolan couldn’t shake an image that kept popping into his head. The bodies in the photos were haunting him, but he didn’t see the heads of the victims there. He kept seeing them as Alec, Liam, Theo and Corey. Any one of those bodies could have been one of his friends.

Then they’d taken his phone. He’d just been trying to silence it but it was suddenly a whole ordeal. No one was acting like he’d heard them, like he knew what was going on, but he did. They thought his phone might be a problem, something the hunters were using against them.

Of course that only made the images more real. Before it was just a haunting idea, but now it was a possibility. A real possibility. And if something happened here at Melissa’s house because of him. Well, again at Melissa’s house because of him, he didn’t know what he would do. How was he supposed to fight back?

That question kept coming back. He didn’t feel like an asset to this situation at all, he felt like a liability. He’d helped, sure, but that time was up. And now all of Alec’s time and attention was spent trying to comfort him, something he was both resenting and appreciating at the same time.

So now they waited. Hours apparently. Nolan was sure of one thing right now he didn’t want to stop hearing Alec’s heartbeat. He needed a constant reminder that Alec was alive, that he wasn’t one of the corpses he’d seen this morning.

A couple of times Alec leaned down and kissed him on the top of the head. He wanted to look up, to lean towards those lips, but that would mean moving away for the thump of his heartbeat and he wasn’t ready to do that yet. He hoped he would be ready, but even after an hour and a half it scared him.

He could smell food in the air and it was like a warning. When it was done he would be forced to move, forced to eat. He knew it was coming and he hated it. At the same time he didn’t want to hold all of them back, so he knew he needed to get past this, but his fear had him locked up and unable to move away from the constant drum in Alec’s chest.

The food wasn’t ready first though. No, instead the thing he’d been dreading finding out about most had beaten it. Whatever they were doing to his phone was finally finished and he was going to be forced to make a choice. Would he stay here locked in place by the fear of losing his friends or would he finally move, motivated by his fear of being a disappointment to everyone in the house? He still didn’t know the answer.

“Can you get Liam back down here?” Rafe’s voice comes from the kitchen.

Theo sounds a little snarkier than usual, more tense maybe, “Ugh, you would ask when my hands are dirty.” His voice raises to a shout, “Liam! Get down here!”

“You couldn’t have just washed your hands and texted him?” Peter’s voice is dry.

A minute or two later and Liam is back with them, “What’s up?”

“It’s done, do you want everyone in here?” Rafe asked.

“That’s probably a good idea.”

Nolan could feel Liam looking down at him before he saw him come into his line of sight. Alec brushed Nolan’s cheek and very slowly started to move, sitting more upright. Eventually, they were up enough that Nolan knew he should be moving his head away and sitting under his own power and he did, but only because if he didn’t he would feel like he was failing them.

When he couldn’t hear the sound of Alec’s heart anymore, he held one of his hands. The warmth of his skin was still a reminder, but didn’t do as good of a job of keeping the nightmare in his imagination away. Nolan let himself be pulled to his feet, but barely realized he’s walking until they were at the edge of the kitchen.

Rafe had the laptop screen tilted down out of sight, “Well, there’s good news and there’s bad news. Which do you want first?”


	27. Waiting

Liam pondered the choice he’d just been offered. He decided he’d rather get the bad news out of the way. Then at least they could hopefully recover with whatever the good news might be.

“Bad first.” Liam crossed his arms.

“Alright, there is a tracking app.” Rafe lifted the laptop screen which confirmed what he was saying.

Liam saw Nolan move behind Alec. Nolan’s hands were wrapped around the other boy’s waist and his face was pressed into the back of his shoulder. He barely looked past him, it was clear he was trying to hide, probably worried about their reaction.

“You said there was good news?” Liam hoped it was really good news.

“Yeah, it’s a terrible app. Not very accurate and a massive power drain to conceal it’s processes. So they’ve only really known general movements. The fact that Nolan’s been keeping his GPS off has actually kept it from piggy backing off that data or it would have been a lot more precise.”

“That is good.”

“And there’s some other potentially good news.”

“Well, don’t keep the kids waiting.” Peter was leaning against the wall, still texting.

Rafe looked around and then back to Liam, “We might be able to find out where it’s sending the data to.”

“Ok, that’s really good news.” Mason jumped in.

“I’ll need to ask a friend in the bureau for a favor, but if it can be done, they can do it.”

“How long will that take?” Liam asked.

“Not really sure, honestly. I’ll reach out and get back to you when I have a better idea.”

“So, I guess we’ll go back to the motel?” Peter lifted his eyes.

“No.” Liam glared at him.

“You heard him, he won’t know what’s going on for a while. I’m certainly not staying here with a bunch of hormonal boys.”

“And you heard the part about them having some idea of where we are. We need you both here in case they do something.” Liam raised his voice.

“You think Melissa wants us staying here?”

“I think Scott would want you here to help keep her safe.”

“Yeah, yeah, your goody two shoes alpha.”

“You mean the alpha that’s saved your life a few times now.” Liam was starting to get pissed.

“Yeah, that one.”

Peter went back to his phone. Liam took it as him accepting the situation and tried to calm down a little bit. He could feel Theo step up behind him and he wondered why he hadn’t smelled him getting closer until he realized he’d come down still wearing Theo’s used shirt. That realization suddenly made him a lot more self-conscious.

“We’re kind of out of beds, but there's two couches.” Theo said over his shoulder.

“Melissa probably has the old camping gear tucked away somewhere. I’ll see if she still has the sleeping bags.” Rafe looked past them to the stairs.

Liam would let them figure that out. He tried to imagine Rafe sleeping scrunched up on one of the couches and just couldn’t. The man was way too tall and gangly for that.

“Soups done if anyone’s hungry.” Theo gestured to a stack of bowls beside a stock pot on the stove.

“Finally.” Peter shouldered his way over and immediately made himself a bowl.

Everyone else drifted over slowly, lining up behind him. Theo and Liam tried to be the last ones, but Alec and Nolan hung back even further. Nolan was still clinging to Alec’s back, but now his face was out of view. Liam caught Alec’s gaze and offered a concerned look. Alec gave him a nod which he hoped meant they’d be ok.

Eventually, it was just him and Theo standing at the pot. The others had already taken their bowls to the dining room where they’d join them soon. Theo paused before filling his bowl and turned to him.

“Couldn’t bear to be away from me for a few minutes huh?” Theo gestured to the shirt Liam was wearing.

“I like the way you smell.”

“I know, little wolf. Honestly, it’s... kind of cute.” Theo turned to start ladling out a bowl.

Liam grinned, “If you ever want to borrow one of mine... you can.”

“Good to know.” Theo smirked as he handed Liam the bowl and started filling his own.

“Thanks for cooking again.”

Liam smelled the steam wafting off the bowl. It smelled great, really. Looked pretty hearty too, with lots of noodles, veggies and chicken. Theo really did spoil him when it came to food.

“Well, it was more for me, but you’re welcome.” Theo leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

They went to the dining room where everyone was already eating. Alec and Nolan had stayed in the kitchen and Liam had thought he caught some guilt wafting off of Nolan behind the smell of Theo and the food. He would just have to trust that Alec would be able to help him, because it was clear Nolan wasn’t ready to talk to the rest of them.

“I already texted my contact.” Rafe explained as they sat down.

“Ok, good. Now I guess we wait.” Liam sighed before he took a spoonful of soup.

* * *

Nolan was pressed against Alec’s back. They were finally alone again, but he still didn’t know what to do or what to say. Everything he’d worried about was true. The hunters were tracking them and it was all his fault.

“Baby, I’m sorry, but you smell terrible.” Alec turned to face him.

Nolan frowned, “Terrible? Really?”

“I mean, not like... body odor, which is fine, by the way. Just... why do you smell so guilty?”

Nolan bit his lip. He was still getting used to being around werewolves, being with a werewolf, and that he didn’t really know a lot about what they could do. Apparently smelling emotions was on that list. And apparently his guilt smelled terrible. Great.

“I’m sorry, I’ll go lay down.” Nolan tried to go back to the living room.

Alec grabbed him by the shoulders before he could even turn away, “That’s not why I brought it up. Talk to me.”

Nolan swallowed, he could feel himself starting to tear up, “I don’t want to hold you guys back.”

Nolan didn’t know what he expected to see in Alec’s face, but it wasn’t the confusion that was there now. And he definitely didn’t see the too-tight hug coming. Or even the words whispered in his ear.

“You’re not holding us back.” Alec sounded so sure again.

“Yes I am. They’re tracking us because of me. I put everyone in danger.” His eyes were watering.

“You’re such an idiot.” Alec was exasperated.

Nolan tried to break free again, but Alec wasn’t letting him. He knew he was being an idiot, he didn’t need confirmation from the one person he thought would think otherwise. A tear had gotten loose and more were sure to follow it now. He tried to hide his face, but there was nowhere to go.

Alec took a deep breath, “I don’t mean- I just meant that you’ve helped more than you think.”

Nolan shook his head, “I’m not helping anyone.”

“You’re helping all of us.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are.” Alec sighed.

“How?” Nolan demanded.

He couldn’t imagine at all what Alec was thinking. Especially after today. He knew he’d been a broken mess since this morning. Now they all knew his stupid phone had put them all in danger too. He was a liability if anything.

Alec lifted his chin and looked him in the eyes, “Do you trust me?”

“Yeah.” And he did.

“Then listen to me, ok?” Alec was searching for acknowledgement.

“Ok.” Nolan shrugged.

“You helped us.”

“Yeah, and I’ve been useless since.”

“No, were you even listening back there?”

Nolan looked down before he answered, “Not really.”

He really hadn’t. Once he’d heard they were tracking his phone he’d been so lost in his own thoughts the rest of the conversation was background noise. He just wanted to be closer to Alec after that. He was still trying to get the photos out of his head.

Alec laughed, “Your phone is the only lead we have.”

“Huh?” Nolan didn’t really like the laugh.

“Rafe thinks he can get someone to use it to find out where the hunters are.” Alec used a thumb to wipe his cheek.

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

Nolan was having a hard time with what Alec was saying. He knew he could trust him. He knew Alec wouldn’t lie to him, but he couldn’t get himself to feel like he was actually helpful at all. He didn’t know why his brain wouldn’t let him have this.

“I feel useless though.” Nolan choked a little.

Alec pulled him back into a hug. One of Alec’s hands was wrapped around his lower back and the other pulled Nolan’s head into his shoulder. Nolan wrapped his own arms around Alec and sobbed against his shoulder.

Alec whispered, “You’re not useless to me.”

Nolan wanted to believe it and he knew he should, but he just couldn’t force himself to. He did what he could to try to stop his crying. If he could do that, then maybe he could at least act like he was ok. Except he’d already forgotten Alec could smell the way he felt and remembering that somehow made things worse. He couldn’t even pretend.

“I’m sorry.” Nolan muttered.

Alec squeezed him, “It’s ok.”

Nolan wanted it to be, but he couldn’t convince himself that it was. He really really wanted to just feel better, but he couldn’t force himself. He buried his face in Alec’s neck and tried to let the contact comfort him.

“You really should eat.” Alec rubbed his back.

“I’m not hungry.” Nolan lied.

“Nice try.”

“Sorry.”

“Maybe food will make you feel better.” Alec offered.

“Maybe.”

Alec’s hug loosened, but Nolan wasn’t ready to let go yet. He gave one more squeeze and held it as long as he could. When he pulled his arms away, Alec cupped his cheek in a hand and leaned in for a kiss. It was firm, but still somehow soft.

After a few moments, Alec stepped back, concern still on his face. He led Nolan over to the pot and the remaining bowls, filling one for each of them. To Nolan’s relief, instead of ushering them to the dining room, Alec pulled a stool out for him at the kitchen island. They sat together, away from the others, with Alec watching as Nolan tentatively took some spoonfuls of broth.

When the broth seemed to stay down ok, Nolan started taking smaller bites of some of the heartier elements. Slowly, but surely he eventually finished the bowl. He did feel a little better, but guilt and worry were still lingering in the back of his mind.

Alec seemed to have noticed the difference though. The brown eyes that Nolan loved looking at were less concerned and maybe even a little relieved. Knowing that he wasn’t worrying Alec as much helped him get another step closer to feeling better.

* * *

Theo sat at the head of his bed again, Liam had fallen asleep in his arms and he would have fallen asleep himself if it weren’t for the other two couples in the room. Alec had asked him if he and Nolan could play some games and he said yes. Mostly because he found it odd just how desperate Alec seemed for that yes.

He finally understood when Alec dragged Nolan upstairs and the boy reeked of self-loathing. Liam had frowned when he noticed it too. When they started up the games, the scent slowly faded away. Nolan seemed to be in a different place when he played and Alec had clearly known about that effect. So even though Theo would have preferred to have his room to himself, with Liam of course, he wasn’t too upset about having them there.

Corey and Mason were another story. He couldn’t decide if they were cute or annoying right now. They’d gotten bored with watching Alec and Nolan compete and had started whispering and giggling with each other. He knew they probably would have gone downstairs if it weren’t for Peter and Rafe currently camped out in the living room. 

Liam snored a little bit and Theo shifted him. His little wolf nuzzled into his chest and was all soft little breaths afterwards. He looked around the room again and a thought hit him. These people were actually his friends.

They were kind of stuck together in this house, but they didn’t act that way. Even before that Mason and Alec had actually been welcoming to him at Liam’s lacrosse practice. Alec didn’t really know Theo, but Mason did. Mason had seen him at his absolute worst. Mason had only tentatively trusted him when they were searching for the anuk-ite, but things were definitely different now. Theo knew he had Liam to thank for his friends accepting him, but it didn’t feel like they were putting up with him just for Liam’s sake anymore.

Alec had come to him for help tonight, he didn’t go to Liam first. So, he was comfortable enough with him for that. And as much Theo wanted to hold a grudge against Nolan, the kid was too much of a mess. Nolan was already mad at himself enough for the both of them. Corey and Mason could have gone downstairs even though Peter and Rafe were down there, but they were clearly more comfortable up here hanging out in his room.

It felt weird. Not in a bad way, but Theo definitely didn’t really know what to do with this realization. It was strange enough being trusted by Liam, but the rest of them seemed to trust him too. He wondered if he’d actually earned it.

He kissed the top of Liam’s head and whispered a quiet thank you. He let himself get more comfortable, closing his eyes and settling into the pillows. Even with the sounds of the fighting game and Corey and Mason’s whispers he still fell asleep.

“Hey, teddywolf...” Liam was whispering in his ear.

Theo blinked open his eyes. The room was dark, a little moonlight filtering in through the windows. It was just him and Liam, the others must have left at some point.

“Wanna get more comfortable?” Liam lips brushed his ear.

“Sounds good.”

He looked down at Liam and all the skin he could see told him Liam already had. He chuckled as he peeled off his own clothes, lazily tossing them towards the hamper. Liam helped where he could and soon they were naked together again.

Liam pressed against him under the covers now and as much as he could tell Liam wanted things to get more intimate, Theo's thoughts were still retracing the feeling he’d gotten before he fell asleep. He didn’t know if maybe he was just assuming or imagining it. He wasn’t going to be able to get his head out of it until he knew for sure.

“Hey, do you think your friends like me?” Theo asked.

Liam looked up at him, clearly puzzled, “Of course they do.”

“I don’t mean just because I’m with you. Do you think they actually like me?”

Liam sat up and looked down at him, “Yeah. Do you think they don’t?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it until today.”

“Well, they like you. Not as much as I do, but they like you.”

Theo smiled, “Come here.”

He pulled Liam back down against him and into a kiss. He gave Liam all of his attention and his little wolf took full advantage of it. It didn’t take long for them to tire themselves back out, covered in each other’s scent again. With Liam already asleep on top of him, Theo let himself fall asleep one more time that night.

* * *

Nolan had calmed down a lot once it was time for bed. The chance to shut off for a while was nice. He got to stop thinking while he and Alec played some games. He thought it was actually kind of nice of Theo to let them hang out in his room that night.

Nolan fell asleep pretty quickly once they crawled into bed, but unfortunately it wasn’t very restful. He found himself back in Gerard’s compound. It was dark and he could smell mold and wetness in the air. Alec was chained up to the grating, worn and ragged. Nolan wanted to go undo his chains and pull him down, but Monroe was glowering at him nearby.

This time she didn’t have Alec hooked up to electricity. She was holding a machete and examining the edge of the blade. As she twisted it in her hand, the light reflected off of the metal and nearly blinded him.

“Nolan.” Monroe barked, “What did I tell you about relationships with the enemy?”

Nolan thought the two of them were alone at first. Then he could feel the shadow behind him, cold and lifeless. The source of the shadow shoved him and he stumbled forward.

“Answer her.” Gabe’s tone was flat.

Nolan’s voice shook when he spoke, “Not-- not to... fall for their lies...”

“And what is the first thing you did?” She used the tip of the blade to lift Alec’s chin, “Fell right into their trap.”

“You’re wrong!” Nolan shouted.

Gabe shoved him again, “Don’t talk back.”

“See, I knew you were soft Nolan. But this? Him? I really had no idea just how soft you were.”

Monroe lifted the blade higher and it scraped across Alec’s cheek. Black veins sprouted from the wound stretching down across his neck and up to his face. She walked over to Nolan and flipped the machete around, pointing the handle to him.

“Time for you to do what you’ve been trained to do, Nolan.”

“No. I-- I can’t.” Nolan stammered.

“We both know you can Nolan and you will. Because if you don’t, I will. And I’ll take my time.” Monroe jabbed the handle into his chest.

“Take it!” Gabe shouted from behind him.

Nolan reached out and slowly wrapped his hand around the machete’s handle. When Monroe let go, he could feel the weight of it. He thought about trying to swing on one of them, but he knew they’d be able to stop him if he did.

Another shove and Nolan was just in front of Alec. The black veins had gotten worse. One of Alec’s eyes had been consumed by them, a dark orb in the socket. The other looked resigned, helpless. He could hear him muttering under his breath.

“Just do it.” Alec’s words were weak.

“No... I... No, I can’t.” Nolan’s vision blurred with tears.

“You can Nolan, and you will.” Monroe’s voice came from everywhere.

Nolan’s arm was lifting and pulling back. The lifeless hands controlling it were Gabe’s. He was making him do this, just like he’d made him do so many other horrible things for Monroe.

“Stop!” Nolan’s throat seized and he only got the one word out.

“It’s for your own good.” Gabe’s emotionless words delivered directly into his ear.

Gabe swung for him. He felt the blade hit flesh and bone before he saw anything. He felt the blood that flowed down the blade and over his hand. He heard it hit the floor, all clattering metal, as he desperately tried to get the blood off. Except he only succeeded in spreading it more and more.

He forced himself to stop and he realized there was something he didn’t hear anymore. The hoarse breathing had stopped. Alec had stopped. His boyfriend hung there, lifeless. As cold and dead as Gabe.

“Good job, Nolan.” Monroe was delighted.

Nolan screamed awake and Alec grabbed him. His touch was warm, he didn’t look weary or exhausted at all. Nolan knew it was actually him.

Peter startled awake on the couch beside them, “Holy-- what the--”

“Shhhh, you’re ok. You’re ok.” Alec whispered.

“Are you kidding me?” Peter turned away from them and put a pillow over his head.

“I’m sorry...” Nolan realized he’d brought the tears from the nightmare with him.

“Hey... hey... you’re ok.” Alec held his head in his hands, thumbs trying to wipe away the salty sadness.

“They made me--”

“No, no... whatever it was, it wasn’t real, ok? This is real.”

“It felt real...”

“But it wasn’t. Here.” Alec pulled his shirt over his head and let Nolan take it.

It took Nolan a few minutes, but eventually he was able to dry his eyes with the help of the fabric. Alec lay back on the mattress and pulled Nolan to his chest, the warmth of his skin felt nice against Nolan’s face. Alec took Nolan’s hand and held it, brushing his fingers over both sides. Nolan listened to his heart again, to his breathing. He mentally reassured himself that Alec was fine over and over again in his head until the endless cycle sent him back to sleep.

* * *

Liam woke up and took a deep inhale. He knew they were going to have to take a shower today, but he was determined to enjoy the way they smelled for a bit longer. He kissed Theo’s chest and stayed snuggled in, enjoying the way their bodies felt pressed together.

His mind wandered back to Theo’s question from the night before. He couldn’t believe that he was even asking at the time, but now that he thought more about it, he could see why he’d need to. The last time Theo had friends must have been before the Dread Doctors took him. The thought made Liam a little sad and he hugged against Theo tighter than he meant to.

“Morning, little wolf.” Theo mumbled.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s ok. I like spending more time with you anyway.” Theo winked down at him.

“Hey, you know we all see you as a friend right?”

“You better.” Theo chuckled and ground their hips together.

Liam let out a soft whimper, “Really though. They trust you.”

Theo looked him in the eye for a moment before speaking, “I believe you.”

“You better.” Liam mirrored Theo’s thrust from a moment ago.

“Trying to start some trouble this morning, little wolf?”

Liam licked his lips, “I could be.”

“Well?” Theo smirked.

Liam wiggled his way under the covers. He decided that morning he wanted to make sure Theo felt good. He couldn’t make up for all the time Theo had spent without friends, but giving him a few moments of pleasure was definitely something he could do. The way Theo repeated his name made him sure he’d succeeded.

“Wow, ok. What did I do to deserve that?” Theo had a slightly dazed look in his eyes.

Liam slid up so he could whisper in his ear, “Just being you.”

“Well, then I’m definitely glad I’m me.”

Theo turned and kissed him. It wasn’t soft or aggressive. There was a different feeling behind it. A sort of thankfulness. Liam returned it with his own appreciation. The kiss lingered for a while before Liam buried his face in Theo’s neck.

“How long do you think it’ll be before we have to get up?” Liam whispered.

He could feel Theo crane his neck, listening to the house, “Everyone’s awake except Nolan.”

“Damn.” Liam’s fingertips traced over Theo’s chest, “Ok, I don’t really want to, but we should take a shower.”

“It has been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Liam muttered.

“Next weekend we have to ourselves, we’ll just stay in.”

“Sounds nice.”

“Come on, let’s get some of the hot water before it’s gone.”

They grabbed some clean clothes and snuck to the bathroom. Today it was their turn to take a shower that was a little too long. Afterwards, they headed downstairs fresh, clean, and to Liam’s disappointment without a hint of each other’s scent mixed together.

Melissa was in the kitchen preparing a big, but simple breakfast. Theo kissed Liam on the temple before breaking away to help her. Rafe and Peter were sitting at the kitchen island on their devices. Liam headed to the living room and could see Alec laying on the air mattress with Nolan very literally curled up on his bare chest, one of his hands held by both of Alec’s. His shirt was crumpled up beside them. He and Alec shared a look of understanding for a moment before he moved on to the mattress where Mason and Corey were sitting cross-legged and chatting quietly.

“Hey guys.” Liam sat down with them.

“Hey Liam.” Corey smiled.

“Oh good, you finally took a shower.” Mason elbowed him.

“Yeah...” Liam squinted at him.

“Let’s just say you needed it, man.”

Liam rolled his eyes before noticing how they were all tucked away from the rest of the house, “Trying to stay out of the way?”

“Maybe. Mason has a really cool idea. If the thing with the tracker pans out...” Corey grinned, but his expression changed to confusion when he saw the look of disbelief on Mason’s face.

“I wanted to wait and see if Rafe had any news first.” Mason explained.

Corey frowned a little, “It’s a really good idea though. Can’t you just tell him?”

Mason shrugged, “Fine, but next time can we wait to see if it matters?”

“Yeah, sorry.” Corey bowed his head.

“Don’t get all sulky, babe. I appreciate your faith in me, I just don’t want to put any false hope out there.” Mason pulled Corey closer and kissed him on the cheek.

Liam chuckled, watching Corey grin and lean into his best friend. He wondered if this was as intense as their arguments ever got. Then he started to think about what an argument between Theo and himself would look like and he had a small flashback to the zoo. He hoped it wouldn’t be like that, but he did get the impression there would probably be some property damage at least.

“So, what’s this plan? You can’t leave me hanging now.” Liam nodded to Mason.

“Ok, so.” Mason excitedly held up his hands, “If we can find out where they are through Rafe’s contact or whatever, then a couple of us can take Nolan’s phone somewhere so the rest of you can get a surprise attack in. Then, once you guys know for sure they’re there, Parrish and the sheriff and his deputies can surround the place. That way even if she tries to run, which she will, she’ll be screwed.”

“That’s a good idea, seems pretty standard though.” Liam raised an eyebrow.

“Well, there was something else. Remember how I’m kind of obsessed with learning everything about supernaturals?”

“Yeah, I wasn’t much help.”

“True.” Mason laughed, “Anyway, Stiles told me about this time when Lydia dosed a whole party with wolfbane. Mixed it into the drinks, eventually everyone was hallucinating.”

“Ok...” Liam wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

“If we can get some wolfsbane into their food, they won’t be putting up too much of a fight .”

“So, you want to drug them with wolfsbane?”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“But we don’t have any.”

“Don’t you still have those wolfsbane pills?”

“I think so...” Liam wondered where they were.

“We could use those.”

There were a lot of parts of this that Liam had questions about, but he wasn’t ready to ask this early in the morning. He took a deep breath and nodded, still trying to remember exactly what happened to the wolfsbane pills. Mason seemed pleased with himself though and there were probably parts of it that Liam just didn’t get, so he let it go.

“I’ll see if I can find them.”

“Great!”

“Alright, I’m going to go check with Rafe.”

Liam stands back up and Corey gives him a little wave goodbye. As Liam walks away, he can hear Corey’s laughter as Mason must be playfully tickling him. Liam chuckled, it was something he’d seen them do countless times at this point so he had no problem picturing it as he headed for the kitchen.

He glanced at Alec and Nolan again and their situation hadn’t changed. He found himself thinking Nolan was lucky Alec was as patient as he was. But then he realized he had someone who was just as patient with him. He smiled from the edge of the kitchen as he watched Theo work with Melissa. He’d taken over the pancakes while she was cutting some fruit. Liam really was lucky.

“They’re checking into it. I’ll hear back in a couple hours.” Rafe had turned to face him.

“Oh, ok. Thanks.”

“You were going to ask, right?” Rafe tilted his head.

“Yeah.” Liam admitted with a shrug.

“You don’t seem worried.”

“They would have done something by now, right?”

“Yeah, probably. Though all of this has been kind of sloppy if I’m honest.”

“Sloppy?”

“Yeah, caught without permits, this phone tracker, they’re nothing like the last time they were here. Gerard was definitely the brains of the whole thing.”

“That’s good though, right?”

“Yes and no. When a suspect is this sloppy it can make them a lot less predictable. Which isn’t helpful.”

“Oh, ok.”

Liam was hoping it would be a good thing, but clearly nothing was going to go right for them. He also had this weird feeling there was something they were missing in all this. None of it felt right.


	28. Checking In

Theo was back in bed with Liam, chests pressed together as they lay on their sides. They were both awake and it hadn’t been that long since breakfast ended. Rafe was still waiting to hear back from his contact which was making Liam antsy, so Theo dragged him away to his room to try to help him calm down.

Breakfast had been interesting to say the least. Mason rambled about using the hallucinogenic nature of wolfsbane as a weapon while Rafe was taking notes and asking questions. They theorized ways to implement this knowledge and none of them sounded particularly reliable. Theo kind of zoned out, honestly, he thought about the fight ahead and how it would be a lot easier if they didn’t hold back. He knew they would, Liam wouldn’t have it any other way, and that made him worry. They were facing reckless killers and if they couldn’t fight back with that same level of intensity, they’d be handicapping themselves.

Nolan and Alec showing up towards the end of the meal brought him out of his thoughts. He watched as Alec gingerly prodded Nolan to eat, making him a plate and encouraging him to keep poking at it even after he himself was finished. Nolan still looked like a mess. Theo really hoped it wasn’t just the photos, because if it was, Nolan was going to be in a rough spot when the fighting really started.

While watching them together, Theo wondered why Alec was so patient with Nolan. He probably would have tried to at least shake some sense into him by now, but Alec was nothing but soft and gentle attention. The kid’s whole family was taken from him by Monroe and here he was, not being cared for, but doing the caring. In a lot of way’s Alec was like him. Plucked out of his own safe little world with everything turned upside down with no family left. Theo had, begrudgingly at first, taken solace in Liam. Maybe that was Nolan for Alec? Theo was going to have to pull him aside and talk to him at some point, if only just to sate his curiosity.

Eventually, Liam scraping his fork on his plate pushing around syrup residue started to bother him and instead of jettisoning the fork across the room he tugged Liam away from the table and up the stairs. Once they were inside his room, Liam gave him a brief but incredibly tight hug. Theo brought him over to the bed and they lay down together with Liam nuzzled into his neck. He rubbed Liam’s back through the shirt he’d borrowed. It really was cute seeing Liam with his baggy shirt on, purposefully wrapped up in his scent for comfort.

“How bad do you think this is going to get?” Liam’s words vibrated against his neck.

“Depends on where they are.”

“You’re supposed to say ‘Not bad’.” Liam huffed.

“I’d rather be honest with you.”

“Yeah...” The word was reluctant and heavy.

“Sorry, little wolf, we’ve seen exactly what they’re capable of now.”

“Yeah.” It came with a sigh this time.

“So, what do we do next?”

“Why are you asking me? You’re the leader here.” Theo chuckled.

“What’s the point of having a pack if I have to do all the thinking?”

“I’m not in your pack. They’re downstairs.” Theo’s tone was bitter even though he hadn’t intended to sound that way.

“Oh.” Liam pulled into himself and slightly away from Theo, “I didn’t--”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“But you did mean it.”

He did. He and Liam definitely had a bond, but that division, not being in his pack, still made him feel like an outsider. Like there was still some sort of invisible barrier between them. The one thing that could take Liam away from him. Liam would do anything for his pack and Theo knew he couldn’t ask otherwise. Doing that would feel like he was trying to betray him again to manipulate him and he didn’t ever want even the most remote hint of that to be a thought in Liam’s mind.

So, yeah, he definitely meant it, but not because he just wanted to be in a pack or even in Scott’s pack. He wanted to be in Liam’s pack, to be a part of that fierce loyalty he saw. To know that same drive and determination Liam directed at them would be directed at him too. He wondered if that made him selfish.

“Yeah, I guess.” Theo admitted.

“I’m sorry.”

“Liam, how many times do I--”   
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t apologize. I get it. I just wish I could do something about it.”

“I know.”

Theo really did believe him. Liam moved back against him, nuzzling into his neck again and leaving a soft kiss there. Then another. And Liam kept working at the soft skin, with his lips, teeth, and tongue. If Theo had to guess, he thought Liam might be trying to leave a mark. A futile task considering the way they healed, but he’d let him try. He liked the idea of Liam leaving his mark on him, even if it was only temporary.

Eventually, Liam pulled back and stared at the spot. Theo moved onto his back, tilting his neck to intentionally give Liam a better view. He felt Liam’s eyes flick up to his face with the sense that he knew what Theo was doing, but Liam just quietly stared. His eyes didn’t leave that spot until Theo could feel that it was healed over. Liam let out the lightest of whimpers before resting his head on top of Theo’s chest.

“I’m worried about Alec and Nolan.” Liam said suddenly.

“I get that. Nolan’s been messed up since yesterday.”

“We should talk to them.”

“We?”

“Yes. We.”

“You think I’m the person to help pull Nolan out of whatever is going on with him?” Theo was incredibly skeptical.

“No. Not Nolan.”

Theo chuckled, “Fine, I’ll talk to Alec, I’ve been meaning to anyway.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, why’s that so surprising?”

“Well, you’ve been keeping your distance pretty much since he’s shown up.”

“I’ve spent plenty of time with him and Mason watching you at lacrosse practice.”

“If you say so. I don’t think I ever saw you guys talking.”

It was true, for all the time he’d been there they didn’t really chat. Well, it was time to change that. Theo looked over to Liam and all he could see was concern.

“I’ll talk to him.”

“Alright, I’ll see if Mason, Corey and I can help Nolan.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks. We’ll probably need it.”

“Yeah, you probably will.”

* * *

Liam sat down on the mattress Mason and Corey had been using the past few days. Nolan was there along with the two that had been sleeping on it. He looked really nervous, like he was called into the principal’s office and he smelled it too. That definitely wasn’t the feeling Liam was going for.

“Hey, Nolan, I just wanted to check on you.” Liam spoke carefully.

“Yeah, how are you doing?” Corey’s tone was just as gentle.

“I’m fine.” Nolan was lying and Liam didn’t need to hear his heart skip to know.

“What can we do to help?” Mason nudged Nolan’s knee.

“I.... I don’t know.” That wasn’t a lie.

“Then tell us what’s wrong.” Liam urged him.

“I’m scared, ok.” Nolan admitted.

“Is that it?”

Nolan looked up at him, Liam could sense that he wanted to lie to him again, but he also saw the resignation that said he wouldn’t. The look on his face reminded him of when he’d first started to understand what Scott had done to him. There was confusion, fear, and a bit of hopelessness mixed in.

“No...” Nolan turned away from Mason and Corey, but Liam could see his eyes watering.

Corey got up slowly and pulled on one of Mason’s arms. Mason looked up at him and Corey urged him to follow with a gesture. The two left Liam and Nolan alone together.

“Tell me what’s going on.” Liam tried to catch Nolan’s eye.

“I-- I’m sorry...” Nolan was avoiding his gaze.

“We just want to know what’s going on, Nolan. I’m not looking for an apology.”

There was a long pause and the scent of fear and sadness spiked. Liam could see Nolan’s hands start to shake, could hear the struggle to take in a good breath. He knew he was having trouble, but he hadn’t realized it had been affecting him this much. He didn’t like that he’d missed this, he definitely should have known if it was this bad. His instincts told him that pressuring Nolan to talk would be a bad idea.

After a few more difficult breaths, Nolan finally spoke, “I keep seeing those photos... but...” he swallowed, “it’s you guys instead.”

The sound of tears hitting the mattress made Liam frown. He looked around, everyone was giving them a wide berth. He hoped Theo’s conversation with Alec upstairs was easier.

Nolan struggled to get out more words, “How-- How am I supposed to stop it?”

“You’re not Nolan. Not by yourself.”

“But... I’m not helping. I’m just...” he forced in a breath, “holding you all back...”

“What makes you think that?”

He recognized Nolan’s chemosignals, not too long ago Liam was letting off the same ones. It was easy to forget Nolan was new to all of this. That he’d never really been a target like the rest of them. That he came from a life where he didn’t have to think about whether his friends were going to live or die. That he didn’t know he wasn’t alone.

“You all have powers... and I’m just... me...” Nolan tried to wipe his eyes.

“We don’t all have powers. Mason doesn’t.”

“Yeah, but he knows all about this stuff... the only thing I ever learned was...” Nolan gulped before he could speak again, “how to hurt you guys...”

“If you want to know, we can teach you. Well, Mason can teach you. I’m still trying to figure some stuff out.” Liam chuckled nervously

Nolan looked up, confused, “But you’re--” he weakly wiped the wetness from his cheeks.

“Still learning.” Liam interjected, “Nolan, I know this is weird and crazy, but we’re glad to have you here. We wouldn’t have made it this far without you. If you weren’t here we wouldn’t have had any idea how serious things are.”

Nolan shook his head, “And then I made them worse--”

“You gave us our only break.”

“I guess.”

“Nolan, we want you here, ok. We’ve all made mistakes in the past. Some worse than others.”

When Liam went through the list in his head it was more intense than he remembered. Liam had tried to kill his alpha. Theo actually had. Corey had helped Theo for a while, but was definitely the most innocent besides Alec. Liam was thankful Mason couldn’t remember anything he’d done as The Beast. That didn’t even factor in the rest of the pack and their allies.

“That’s what it is, the past. You’ve been helping us and you did what you had to do to keep Alec safe. I get that more than you’ll probably ever understand.”

“I just want to be more helpful.”

Nolan tilted his head back. Liam noticed the tears had stopped and he was trying to clean the last signs of crying off his face. The redness would take some time to fade, but otherwise Nolan was starting to look better than when the conversation started.

“Do you want me to get Mason back in here?” Liam offered.

“Sure.” Nolan took a deep breath, “Just, give me a few minutes... please.”

“Ok.”

Liam patted Nolan’s shoulder and smiled, he got a weak half-smile in return, but it was better than nothing so he accepted it. He got up and crossed to the kitchen where Mason and Corey were sitting side by side at the island mid-conversation. He took his own deep breath before joining them while wondering how much longer Theo and Alec would be.

* * *

Theo sat on the edge of the bed with Alec just a foot away from him. He felt like he was about to have some kind of father son chat and that felt off. He wasn’t planning to be anyone’s parent any time soon.

“So, what’s this about?” Alec wondered aloud.

“We just wanted to check on you guys. See how you’re doing.”

“Well, I’m fine.” Alec shrugged.

“Yeah, we both know that was a lie.”

Theo tapped his chest over his heart and Alec huffed. There was still a lot for this kid to learn and apparently Liam was going to have to teach him. Which he knew meant he was going to have to teach him too.

“How is that not cheating?” Alec crossed his arms.

“Oh, it’s cheating, but you can do it too, so we’re even enough.”

“I’m getting better.”

“Good. And nice try changing the subject.”

Alec looked to the far wall of the room, “Ok, fine. I’m worried about Nolan.”

“I think we all are. Liam’s talking to him now to see what he can do.”

Theo caught Alec’s grimace before he fixed his face. He was probably frustrated that he hadn’t been able to do anything himself. Theo could tell things would have been a lot worse without him though.

“So, you guys were just splitting us up so he could talk to him?”

“No, like I said, we want to know how you’re doing too.”

“Well, I was just worried about Nolan.”

Theo rolled his eyes and tapped his chest again, “You need a lot more practice if you’re going to keep trying to get away with lying.”

“You are really frustrating, you know that?”

“I’ve been told that before.”

Alec shook his head and sighed. Theo knew he was testing his patience, but he could live with that. Worst case the kid would snap and open up.

“What do you want from me?” Alec’s voice was definitely disgruntled.

“The truth would be nice.”

“Fine.” Alec’s eyes started to look just barely wet, “I’m scared. Ok?”

“Scared of what?” Theo pushed.

“Fucking dying. What do you think?”

“Is that all?”

Alec looked at Theo with something between anger and incredulousness, “What the fuck do you mean ‘Is that all’? What is wrong with you people?”

“Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time for us. And it’s... the second for you?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Well, Liam’s been through...” Theo started counting on his hands, “Berserkers... Dead Pool assassins... Me... Dread Doctors... The Beast... Ghost Riders... A Nazi Werelion... the Anuk-ite... and hunters.”

Alec stared in shock, “Did you say ‘you’?”

“No, I said ‘me’.”

“You know what I meant.”

“I do. I was a bad guy once. So was Peter. Things change. My point is that Liam has been through all that and survived it. This is just one more thing.” Theo shrugged.

“So, what? I’m not supposed to be scared?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Then what are you saying?” Alec was starting to shout.

“I’m saying,” Theo took a deep breath before continuing, “that this group has fought their way through a lot already and you should trust them to be able to fight through this too.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“Oh, I know.”

“Then, what is the point of this conversation?” Alec was back to being frustrated.

“To appreciate that you have a pack here that has been through more than most and will have your back. To understand how fucking lucky you are to have that.”

Theo wondered why Scott bothered to recruit such an ungrateful little shit. Of course he also didn’t really hate Alec, he knew he was jealous and that’s what he hated. He focused on squelching it so that Alec didn’t become his punching bag for those particular feelings.

“Who are you to talk to me about having a pack?”

Theo narrowed his eyes at Alec, “I don’t think you want to go there.”

“Have you ever lost your pack?”

Had he? As far as Theo was concerned he had. Twice. The family he’d lost under the influence of the Dread Doctors were his first. That one hurt worse than the second, the chimeras that had followed him to their eventual doom. He wasn’t going to own that in front of Alec though.

“I’m not saying that I understand how you feel. I know you lost everyone you cared about.”

“Then why are you being such a dick.”

“Because you should be grateful that you have a new one.”

Alec put his head in hands and sighed, “Look, I am grateful. I just didn’t think things would get this intense this fast.”

“Welcome to Beacon Hills.”

“Has it really been this bad?”

“Did you miss the list? That was only the past couple of years.”

Alec looked back up at him, eyes huge, “Wait, that was only a couple years?”

“Yep.”

“Why in the hell do you stay here?”

Theo could think of one reason. One reason sitting downstairs talking to Nolan. One reason he wished he was alone with up here instead of Alec.

“I have my reason.”

Alec’s gaze tilted very briefly and Theo suspected he’d caught his use of the singular, “Yeah, I get that.”

“You’re willing to stay because of him already?”

“Is it weird to say yes?”

“It’s not weird.”

“I honestly didn’t expect to like him this much. I mean, he’s cute, but then the more time we spend together, the more it just feels right when I’m around him. I don’t want to lose him.”

Theo nodded. He understood that, he and Liam had more history, sure, but he had no idea what he’d do if he ever lost Liam. If Alec had found someone to care about after losing everything Theo had no plans to judge him. Honestly, if anything, it made him respect him a little more.

“He definitely seems to like you too. It’s obvious that you make him feel safe.” Another mirror to what he had with Liam.

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“And I’m guessing you see it differently?”

“He’s been dragged into all of this because of me. If I weren’t a part of it he could have bailed after he showed us those hideouts. He thinks he’s holding us back.”

“He’s kind of been instrumental in all of this though.”

“That’s what I told him!” Alec gestured emphatically.

“You know he has anxiety issues, right? Among other things?”

“I know. And when we hung out he seemed to be letting that stuff go, but ever since he saw those photos in the sheriff’s station he’s been a lot worse.” Alec frowned.

“Still better when he’s with you.”

Theo had caught many of Nolan’s little habits and behaviors since he’d started hanging out with the others. Alec was right, they did seem to dull or disappear when he was around. He wasn’t sure if that was healthy or not, but it wasn’t really for him to decide.

“I barely help anymore.”

“What are you talking about? You absolutely helped him get out his head yesterday.”

“It didn’t last though.” Alec looked down at the floor.

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“Do what?” Alec tilted his head up just enough to look at him again.

“Expect to be perfect.”

Alec let out a quick breath that was almost a laugh, “I just want to help him.”

“And you are. I don’t think anyone else in this house would be as patient with him as you’ve been.”

That finally got Alec to smile a little, “Thank you.”

Theo gave some advice he didn’t plan to follow himself, “Just make sure and talk to the rest of them. Don’t tough things out on your own. That’s the point of a pack.”

He figured that was probably what Liam would have said if it was him up here. And it was probably a good suggestion too. Maybe Theo would follow it if he ever had a pack again.

“Ok” Alec shrugged.

He knew it was more a shrug of acceptance than anything else. Theo figured he could leave him with one more positive note. There was something he’d noticed a while back that Alec deserved a compliment for, a compliment that would build him up for what was going to come next.

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to tell you. The way you moved back at the mall, the way you fought, I’m glad you were there.”

Alec didn’t seem to know what to do with that comment, “Uh, thanks.”

“I hope you’re ready to bring that same energy when we find out where these hunters are.”

A glint sparked in Alec’s eye, “I’m ready.”

“Good.”

* * *

Nolan sat with Mason as he walked him through the trove of information that he had stored on his phone. Mason had offered to transfer it all to him once his phone was fixed. The top level folder was just called ‘The Bestiary’, something Mason explained had come from Chris who Nolan understood was a hunter who had been helping the McCall pack for a while. Inside that were two more folders, one was labeled ‘Known’ and the other ‘Unknown’. Mason said the difference here were ones that the pack had encountered versus things he’d just read about but had no solid proof of.

In the ‘Known’ folder were the supernatural types of all the different pack members and all the enemies they’d faced and their victims. It was a lot to take in. Werewolves were in there of course and there were more of them than anything else. He’d gone on to explain all the other types and when he got to chimera, Nolan caught the frustration and anger at them not having more info. When he’d dug into that explanation and learned about the sudden and random deaths the chimera experienced initially, he understood. Corey was a chimera and he could tell that Mason worried something might happen to him again. He’d had more questions, but he decided to let Mason move on.

It was intense really. There was so much more going on than Nolan ever realized. Monroe’s hunters had known about some of it, but compared to Mason’s research it was just the tip of the iceberg.

While he was getting supernatural lessons he’d noticed Liam get pulled aside by Rafe. He wondered how soon they would know where the hunters were hiding now and what the plan would be to fight them. He still wanted to help, somehow. These lessons hadn’t yet turned into any way for him to actually do that though.

“So, Aaron was the anuk-ite?” Nolan furrowed his brow.

“Yeah and a girl named Quinn.” Mason was caught up in the excitement of being the teacher and not the student on the subject.

“Lacrosse team Aaron?”

“That’s what I said.” Mason nodded.

Nolan cringed as he put all the pieces together. Monroe using her role as guidance counselor to trick him into helping her. Gabe being all too happy to help her too. The general state of fear from the anuk-ite affected their decisions, sure, but to find out the creature itself had been the one to put him down the path of the things he regretted most was jarring. He couldn’t help but look at Corey’s hand with regret and shame.

When Mason saw the look on his face he moved to another folder labeled ‘Ghost Riders’, “So, you definitely don’t remember this, but a whole army of these guys had basically taken all of Beacon Hills at one point.”

“You’re right I don’t remember.” Nolan wondered how he could even forget something like that.

Mason continued, “Well, it’s part of what they do. They take people to another reality and everyone just forgets that person was there.”

“Then how do you remember?”

“Honestly, I think Corey has something to do with it.”

Mason pulled Corey against him in a sideways hug. They both chuckled with the randomness of it for a moment before Mason got a quick kiss. Corey had mostly zoned out soon after the lesson had begun so it was no surprise he was caught off guard by the attention.

“Don’t start on your theories.” Corey laughed.

“What? Why not?”

“Stick to what we know or it’ll get confusing.”

Mason shrugged, “Sorry, Nolan, I promise I’ll share what I think later.”

Nolan bit his lip, “Please. This is already a lot.”

“Well, like I said, I’ll get you a copy to go through on your own time as soon as we can.” Mason nodded.

Nolan nodded back and let him continue on. He could already see himself digging through the files and reading about all the things that had been hiding beneath the surface of Beacon Hills. Most of all he wanted to spend more time with the ‘Werewolf’ folder so he could better understand Alec. He’d tried to get Mason to go in more detail, but he’d been too eager to show Nolan more of his research.

Peter wandered into their corner of the living room, “Hey guys, Liam wants you in the dining room.”

“Oh, ok. Did Rafe finally hear back?” Mason asked.

“What else would it be?” Peter shrugged and walked away before Mason could say anything else.

Mason locked his phone and tucked it away, “Alright then.”

Nolan hopped to his feet and brushed himself off. He was surprised that he felt mostly better, but having a lot fewer unknowns in his life was helping. More than that, he realized just how little the hunters seemed to know about supernaturals that weren’t werewolves and even then there were gaps in their knowledge. At least when it came to the info that Monroe had shared with her army when he was a part of it.

As he headed to the dining room he noticed Alec was coming down the stairs. He offered him a weak smile and stopped, giving him a chance to catch up. When Alec hit the bottom of the stairs he hugged him.

Alec sniffed at him, “You seem to be doing better.”

“So, I don’t smell terrible anymore?” Nolan joked.

Alec hugged him tight and buried his nose in Nolan’s neck, “No, not at all.”

“Good.”

He pulled Alec away from him enough to get a kiss and was surprised by the intensity of the response. He wasn’t upset with it at all. The frantic lips, the exploring tongue and the playful teeth took him somewhere else. At least until Corey’s polite cough. Alec pulled away and they both chuckled. Nolan knew he was blushing and thought Alec might have had a little red in his cheeks too.

They walked into the dining room where their whole team had assembled. Liam was at the center of things, with Rafe right beside him. Nolan and Alec took the pair of empty chairs left for them.

“Alright, we know where they’re at.” Liam started off, “So, it’s time to make a real plan.”

Rafe spun the laptop around so everyone could see the screen. Nolan couldn’t quite make out what the structure was supposed to be at first. Though, the floor plan looked really familiar. Then he realized exactly what building he was looking at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out. It might come out a little slower, but it's still coming out. Thanks for sticking with me! <3


	29. Blueprints

Liam couldn’t help but ask, “This is a joke, right?”

“No, this is what they sent.” Rafe clearly didn’t understand why Liam was upset.

“Wow, ok then.”

Liam’s first thought was that he really hoped Jane wasn’t one of the hunters. She just seemed too nice to be wrapped up in all that. Did she even have time to hunt? It seemed like she was always at the diner.

There it was though, plain as day. The diner. It did seem bigger on the outside than the inside, but he just assumed it was all because of the kitchen and storage. Seeing the plans on the screen seemed to confirm that, but he had to admit that looked like a lot of storage space.

“Can’t say this is what I expected either.” Theo put his hand on Liam’s shoulder.

“A hideout is a hideout.” Peter shrugged.

“I like that place...” Nolan mumbled.

Liam took a deep breath, “So, I guess we start planning now.”

“Well, it’s a public place, so it’ll be easy to get into.” Mason’s eyes searched the room as he thought.

“Good point. Nolan, Corey, I want you two to do a sweep.”

“Wait, what? Why me?” Nolan was obviously nervous.

“You know the most about the hunters, so there’s a chance you’ll see something we’d miss.”

“Oh, that makes sense.”

Liam caught the sound of relief in his voice. He knew Nolan wanted to feel more useful, but this wasn’t just some excuse to help him feel that way. They really needed his insight.

“Corey, you good with that?”

Corey nodded, “Yeah. We’ll check it out, right Nolan?”

“Right.” Nolan had a hint of a grin.

“I’ll loop in Parrish and check to see what help he can provide.” Liam’s fingers felt at the edge of the phone in his pocket.

“I can’t get involved until we know for sure it’s Monroe.” Rafe added.

“Ok.”

Liam’s gaze flicked around to the part of the group he saw as his fighters. Peter who just seemed to be waiting for something to happen. Theo who he knew would back him up without question. Then, Alec, who he knew itched for vengeance. That last part had him a little worried.

Liam settled his gaze on Corey and Nolan, “Once you two get back, we’ll plan for tomorrow. Peter, I need you to park a couple blocks away and wait for them to get back.”

“Oh, I’m included now?” Peter arched an eyebrow.

“Just do it, ok?”

“Yes, sir.” Peter’s tone was mocking, but at least he was agreeing.

“Wait, so we’re going now?” Nolan asked.

“The sooner the better.”

“Oh... ok.”

Liam fished out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. He decided this was more important than just a text. At least if Parrish was able to answer.

Peter moved impatiently to the door. Corey and Nolan were hugging Mason and Alec respectively as they got ready to go ahead and pull off their mission. This recon was important and Liam had confidence in them that they could pull it off. The fact that they’d already worked together once before added to that.

He tapped the call button and listened to the sound of ringing. While it rang he decided he should be a little guarded with just how much had happened so far. He’d share more once they knew what they were dealing with.

Parrish picked up, “Hey, something happen?”

“No. Well, yes. We think we might know where they are.”

“Ok, good. What do you need?”

“Nothing yet. We’re doing some recon right now. We want to be sure. I’ll call you again when we know more.”

“I can patrol nearby if you think that would help.” Parrish offered.

Would it? Peter would be nearby, but he couldn’t turn the tide in a fight like Parrish could. Liam looked at the group heading out the door and decided he’d rather be safe than sorry.

“Yeah, I’ll have one of them text you if things go south. We think they’re at the diner, the twenty-four hour one.”

“Alright, I’ll tell the sheriff I’m keeping my patrol near there today.”

“Ok, thanks.”

“Hopefully, you don’t need me. I’ll be waiting for your next call.”

“Yeah, bye.”

“Bye.”

The call ended and Liam fired off a text to Corey and Nolan to let them know that they should text Parrish if things go south. He made sure to follow it with a reassurance that he didn’t think they would need it. In return he got a thumbs up and a thank you.

“Should I be worried about them?” Liam whispered.

Theo had stayed close. Alec and Mason were in the living room and it sounded like they were trying to distract themselves with some TV. Theo put an arm around his shoulders and Liam turned his head to breathe in his scent.

Theo leaned in and whispered, “No, they can handle themselves. Whatever you said to Nolan seems to have helped.”

Liam shrugged, “Mason and I just helped him feel useful.”

“Well, it definitely worked.”

Theo kissed the side of his head. Liam turned into him for a hug. A part of him was still worried. Not because of Corey or Nolan, but because it wasn’t often that their plans went well. Even when they did, it was usually only mostly.

He buried his face in Theo’s chest, rubbing it into the chimera’s scent. It was weird that he found it easy to be a leader. Maybe it was because everyone was expecting it of him. What was hard was dealing with the stress of it. Would one of his orders or ideas get one of them hurt? He assumed it was bound to happen eventually. He didn’t know what he would do when that happened.

Theo hugged him close and nuzzled the top of his head. Liam exhaled slowly as Theo rubbed at his back. He didn’t like it, but he wondered if it would undermine his authority if someone caught him like this, turning to Theo for comfort. How did Scott deal with this?

“They’ll be ok.” Theo whispered.

* * *

Nolan had adapted quickly to the green aura that surrounded them when they turned invisible. They’d left Peter behind a couple blocks away, as planned and worked their way over to the diner. Now, they stood outside the door waiting to piggyback their way in behind a customer.

It took a little while, but eventually the door opened. A grumpy old man shoved the door wide as he left. Corey quickly ducked inside, pulling Nolan behind him so fast he almost tripped, but their grip on each other helped him steady himself as they looked around.

The place was basically empty like always, which suddenly made a lot more sense. He wondered just how long this place had been a front for hunters. Was it already one when he came here with Liam? When they came here to plan their ambush of the old hideouts? Nolan’s mind was reeling and it must have been all over his face.

“Hey, we need to keep moving.” Corey whispered.

“Uh, yeah, sorry.” Nolan shook his head.

“Looks like the only other door is to the kitchen?”

“Yeah, looks like it.”

Corey moved them towards the flaps that served as the barrier between them and the kitchen. The whole time, Nolan’s stomach was in knots. The hunters knew who they were, they must have listened in, right? He shoved his hand into his pocket and clutched the arcade card.

He let his brain think about Alec’s adorable brown eyes. As he calmed down, he pictured the curls of brown hair he liked to play with. Finally, he focused on the way Alec had been there for him even when he was a complete mess. He felt ok again.

Corey gestured to the gap under the door. They were going to have to crawl under it. Gross. The tile looked atrocious, years of dirt caked between the cracks. Nolan suppressed a gag as they got down on hands and knees.

They made it to the other side and Corey pulled him back to his feet. The first thing Nolan did was try to brush his hand off. He must have been a little too loud, because the cook turned to look in their direction. He squinted towards them and they froze. Nolan basically stopped breathing and Corey squeezed his hand with an iron grip.

The cook shrugged and turned back to the flat top, flipping a pancake. Nolan breathed out slowly and Corey did the same. After a few moments they headed towards the back, where all the extra storage space was supposed to be. What they found was a wall of dry goods.

Nolan pulled Corey this time as he wanted to get closer and check it out. He scanned the shelves looking for something that might feel like he should notice it, but it was when he looked down at the floor he saw the real clue. Curved scrapes led away from one of the shelves. They’d be unremarkable if it wasn’t for just how many there were.

“It’s a door.” Nolan whispered as he gestured to the scraped tiles.

“Can we open it?”

“Maybe, but it might be noisy.” Nolan knew he sounded nervous.

“Ok, what should we do?”

“Come back with--”

Before he could say more the screech of metal across tile sounded sharply. Corey pulled him back and pressed flat against a wall, a stance Nolan quickly mirrored. A large man stepped out from behind the shelf and, thankfully, he didn’t appear to be armed. He slid the door shut again with another terrible grating noise.

The kitchen doors flapped open and Jane came in. She looked pretty upset and it seemed to be entirely directed at whoever this guy was. She gestured for him to wait as she stuck a ticket over the grill for the cook.

“Dusty, when the fuck are you getting out of my diner?” Jane crossed her arms.

“This was pa’s diner, not yours.” He tried to move past her.

Jane stepped in his way, “Was, Dusty, was. It’s mine now and I don’t like the company you’re keeping.”

“I’m trying to keep this town safe.”

“Oh, really? Safe from what exactly?”

Dusty looked left and right before answering with a hushed tone, “You know what.”

“Really?” She threw her hands up in the air, “‘Supernaturals’? You know that’s a bunch of bullshit.”

“Look, I seen ‘em myself. Kids with claws and glowing eyes. They’re real.”

“Oh, Dusty, hun, are you off your meds again?” Jane’s features softened.

“No...” The man sounded guilty.

Jane shifted her stance. If Nolan had to guess, it looked like she was weighing whether or not to push the topic. She sighed and shook her head.

“Please don’t tell me that woman is still here.” Jane stared the man down while he tried to avoid her gaze, “Dusty...”

“What the hell do you want from me?”

“I want you to get a job.”

“This is my job.”

“She’s paying you now?” Jane jabbed him with a finger.

“She will, when we get their leader.”

“Dusty, has she given you anything? Anything at all?” She crossed her arms.

“She’s given us stuff.”

Jane narrowed her eyes, “Us? Who the hell is ‘us’?”

“Me and some of the guys.”

“Are they back there too?!”

“Maybe...” Dusty had that guilty tone again.

“God damnit, Dusty! No! I want you all out by the end of tomorrow or so help me...” Jane was fuming.

“Or what? You gonna kick me out again?”

“You know what? Yeah. I am. So figure out what you want. To be a ‘hunter’ or to have a sister.”

The two stared at each other for a while, neither one speaking. Eventually, Jane huffed and stepped aside. The man barreled through the kitchen doors, which creaked with each swing.

“I’m so glad pa isn’t here to see you right now...” Jane mumbled to herself.

Nolan glanced over to Corey who looked as wide-eyed as he felt. They knew that there were hunters here. It was an educated guess that the woman they referred to was Monroe, but it wasn’t a certainty. What was a certainty was that if Jane had her way, they only had one day to decide what to do.

* * *

Theo sat on the couch with Liam. He’d tried to drag him upstairs again, but he wanted to stay around the others in case they heard something. The TV was on but he didn’t think anyone was really paying attention to it.

He watched as Liam turned his phone in his hand. Every once in a while he would light up the screen to see if he somehow missed a notification. Theo knew he was still worried about Corey and Nolan, but all he could really do was stay with him while he waited to hear back.

He looked back over his shoulder. Mason was showing Alec his version of a bestiary. Alec seemed incredibly bored, but was doing a good job of faking interest whenever Mason looked at him.

In the chair across from them, Rafe had the laptop out and was tapping away at something. He could hear Melissa in the kitchen brewing another pot of coffee. Between her and Rafe, the last one had barely lasted an hour.

Liam’s phone finally sounded, and Liam almost dropped it trying to unlock it. Theo looked over his shoulder at the screen. It was a message from Corey.

_On the way back. Definitely hunters. Maybe Monroe._

Liam’s head rolled back against Theo’s shoulder. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. Theo wrapped a hand around Liam bicep and squeezed a small reminder he was there. Liam looked back down and tapped out a response.

_ See you soon. Good work. _

“Ok, they’re coming back.” Liam’s relief was evident.

“Good.” Rafe nodded.

“Oh, thank God.” Mason sighed out.

Theo heard a sigh alongside Mason’s that he knew was Alec’s. Liam started to sit up and Theo helped brace him. Instead of just sitting up, Liam actually left the living room to take a seat back at the center of the dining room table.

Theo nodded to himself as he stood too. Today it wasn’t the dining room, it was their war room. They were going to be doing more planning once Corey, Nolan, and Peter got back. Liam was trying to be ready, so Theo would be ready alongside him.

He dropped into the chair to Liam’s right. It was a conscious choice to literally be Liam’s right hand man. He wanted to reach over and rub his thigh, but the intensity Liam was giving off made it feel like a bad idea. When Liam was in this new leader mode, Theo felt like he was going to have to remember to keep a little distance, even if he didn’t want to.

Everyone else eventually joined them at the table. Mason and Alec were first. Rafe followed, taking up the spot to Liam’s left. Finally, Melissa came in with two mugs of coffee, one for herself and she begrudgingly set a cup down in front of Rafe.

“Thanks.”

Melissa shrugged, “You’re welcome.”

“They’re almost here,” Liam says.

Theo isn’t sure how he can tell until he focuses on his hearing. Peter’s insane driving was easy to pick out. The sports car drifted around a corner before zipping down the block to screech to a halt outside the house.

The door flung open and Peter came in first, followed quickly by Corey and Nolan. The latter of the two eased the door shut. Soon everyone was together at the table waiting on Liam to get things started.

“Ok, so we know there are hunters in there, but we don’t know for sure Monroe’s there, right?” Liam gestured to Corey.

“Yeah. Also, it seems like the cook and the waitress might not be a part of this.” Corey shrugged.

“Really?” Liam seemed relieved.

Nolan nodded, “Uh, yeah. Jane was definitely not happy with them for being there. She is actually trying to have them kicked out by tomorrow. So, I guess we need to move fast?”

“This is pretty much the one shot we’re going to get, so yeah. We need to take it soon.” Liam confirmed.

“Well, unfortunately, I’m still out.” Rafe sighed.

“Right, we needed confirmation of Monroe.”

“Yeah, I can still help with the planning, but that’s as much as I can do. I hope you understand I don’t want to risk my badge.”

“I get it. Can you pull up those blueprints again?”

Rafe clicked on the trackpad of the laptop a couple times before spinning it around for the whole table again. Nolan looked around at everyone, he seemed like he might want to say something but Theo could tell his nervousness was getting the best of him, so he decided to give him a hand.

“How does this compare to what you saw in there, Nolan?”

“Oh, uh, well...” He leaned across the table and pointed to a spot that led into a larger storage area, “There’s a door here made to look like shelves. It’s pretty loud when it opens.”

Liam considered this, “So if we use that it’s not a stealth option.”

Liam’s phone sounded again and he pulled it out of his pocket. Theo could just make out Parrish’s name on the notification from this angle. Liam unlocked the phone and quickly tapped out a message, but Theo didn’t catch what it said. A response came through pretty quickly and he locked and tucked the phone away again.

“Parrish and the sheriff will be here later.” Liam announced.

Nolan still hadn’t fully sat back down and he ventured a question, “I can’t really tell from these blueprints, but does it have any kind of sewer access?”

Rafe spun the laptop back around, “Well, if these blueprints are accurate, then no, it doesn’t. However we know they’ve done some updates since, so it’s still possible.”

“You, uh, probably already know this, but um, that’s probably where they’ll go if they can. And, there will definitely be traps.” Nolan slowly sat down and Alec grinned and patted him on the shoulder.

“Well, sewer plans are public records.” Rafe finished a few keystrokes before continuing, “I was able to get the most recent plans and it looks like one of the larger pathways does run under the diner.”

“So, then we have to assume they have access.” Mason looked concerned.

“Ok... ok...” Liam was nodding while he thought, “Alright, so if I were them I would want more than one way out. Mason is right, I think they have sewer access. Thanks Nolan. Rafe. So, we need three teams. One at each end of the sewer tunnel and one above ground. Thoughts?”

Theo scanned the group with Liam. It didn’t look like anyone had much of anything to add. Theo had one thing, but he didn’t intend to say it in front of the group. He wasn’t letting Liam out of his sight, especially after he’d already been shot once before.

“Alright, if no one has anything to add, when the sheriff and Parrish get here we’ll finalize things once we know they’re on board.”

Everyone nodded and most of them left the table. Nolan tugged Alec with him to sit with Mason and learn more. Melissa headed upstairs with her coffee mumbling something about a bath. Rafe started working on his laptop again.

Peter looked up from his phone, “So, what’s for dinner?”

“What did you buy?” Theo responded.

“Nothing...” Peter’s eyes narrowed.

“Exactly.” Theo grinned as finally got that squeeze on Liam’s thigh.

He headed upstairs to his room, hoping that Liam would follow. Thankfully, his little wolf was right behind him. Soon, they were alone together.

“It’s kinda hot watching you lead.” Theo pulled Liam into a hug.

“Only kinda?” Liam nipped at his neck.

“Fine, it’s really hot.”

“Is that why you wanted to come up here?” Liam looked up at him playfully.

“Not originally...” Theo let his fingers play at the skin under the edge of Liam’s shirt.

“Then why, teddywolf?”

Theo shook his head at the nickname, “Whatever your plan is, I want to be right beside you. After the mall--”

Liam had pressed a finger to his lips, “That’s always the plan. We fight together too well to separate us.”

* * *

Liam had snuck in some cuddle time with Theo. He had definitely thought about taking it further, it was hard not to, but he knew he still needed to be responsible. Liam didn’t want to be in the middle of things when the last of their help showed up.

Eventually, Parrish and Sheriff Stilinksi arrived. Liam reluctantly pulled himself away from the comfort of Theo’s chest and scent so they could head downstairs. He and Theo sat at the center of the table again and he was flanked on the other side by Rafe, which worked since he had the files they needed to reference on his laptop. Everyone else took spots around the table, except for Peter who leaned against a nearby wall and looked like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“Thanks for coming. From what Corey and Nolan found out, we’re going to have to make our move tonight.” Liam looked directly at the sheriff.

“Ok, am I going to have to deal with the FBI?” Noah’s eyes moved to Rafe.

“No, can’t get involved. Though, if Monroe's there and you arrest her, it’s going to cause some flags.”

The sheriff nodded, “That’s fine. Honestly, if the FBI wants to take her once she’s in custody, good riddance.”

“Rafe, can you pull up those plans again?” Only a couple moments after Liam asked, they were on display for the group, “So there’s an exit into the kitchen, but we’re pretty sure there’s an exit into the sewer system as well. This gives them basically four different exits. The front and back of the diner and two different directions underground.”

Liam paused to give an opportunity for someone to jump in and correct him or offer an idea. He scanned the group and everyone seemed pretty focused. The sheriff was nodding and tilted his head as he looked over the blueprints.

“I can definitely arrange an anonymous tip that there are terrorists hiding in the diner. That’ll let me and my deputies surround the building.” Stilinski added.

“Perfect, though if it’s ok, I’d like to have Parrish with us underground.” Liam looked between the sheriff and the deputy.

“Sure.” Parrish shared a glance with Noah before he shrugged, “I’m off duty tonight anyway.”

“In that case, I was thinking the rest of us will be two teams. Team one is me, Theo, Alec, and Nolan. Team 2 is Parrish, Corey, Mason, and Peter.”

He checked everyone’s faces again. Peter actually looked up from his phone and Liam thought he might be formulating some snarky come back, but then he shrugged and looked back down at the screen in his hands. Nolan looked a little scared, he’d expected that, but Alec had already wrapped an arm around him. Still, no one objected. He was honestly surprised, he figured someone was going to have an issue.

“Nolan, I need you to tell us as much as you can about what we’ll need to look for down in the sewers as we get close to this place. Anything you can remember about traps they might set is going to be helpful. I was thinking each team should take either end of the sewer exit.”

“Got it.” Mason was trying to hype himself up and Liam had seen that expression plenty of times so he knew exactly what it meant.

“Oh, and I found these.”

Liam set the glass jar of purple pills down on the table. Everyone looked at them with confusion, except Mason. He had an excited curiosity in his eyes. Liam kept his attention on Rafe and Noah as he continued.

“When we catch them, not kill.” Liam spared a glance at Peter who rolled his eyes, “I think we should give them one of these. Mason said that it makes people hallucinate and it will give the sheriff’s office and the FBI a reason to ignore anything they say about the supernatural.”

“And they might have the new stuff in their hideout!” Mason’s eyes were huge.

Nolan turned to look at him, apparently following his train of thought, “So it will look like they’re growing it as a drug!”

Liam hadn’t considered this. Rafe and Noah were both nodding now thinking to themselves. Neither one objected so they must have been on the right track.

Liam had one last request, “Melissa, I’m not sure what we’re going to deal with tonight. Do you mind being on standby with that stuff you injected me with?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” She sounded confident.

“Ok, then unless there are any last objections?” Liam checked for any response, but didn’t get one, “Let’s get out there. Getting through the sewers safely is probably going to take some time, so we should get started. Sheriff, I’ll text you once we’re in position.”

Noah gave one stern nod to confirm they were on the same page. Liam looked around at the group one more time giving a little extra focus to each member. There was some apprehension, some tension, and in a couple of cases some excitement, but nothing too extreme that he was worried about. He thought he might need to be worried about Nolan, but he actually seemed to be doing ok.

As the two teams piled into their respective vehicles, Liam started up a call with Mason. They put each other on speakerphone as Nolan offered everything he could on Hunter traps and tactics. Liam didn’t know if he should have a good feeling about this, but he did. Though, part of him knew to be ready for something to go wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, just a reminder that you are appreciated!  
> Drink some water and stretch if you haven't!
> 
> Oh, uh, you may have noticed there's a final chapter count. It's not set in stone, but it's my current estimate.


	30. Sewer Tunnels

Nolan stayed at the back of their group just in case they missed a trap along the way. This proved to be a sound strategy, because they’d already set one off as they worked their way towards the diner. Liam had dodged most of the darts but they’d still had to stop while Theo removed the two that landed. Thankfully, they were coated with normal wolfsbane so burning the wounds out didn’t take long. However, it had slowed them down and they’d had to text Stilinski to delay if he could.

Nolan had locked Alec’s hand in an iron grip while he tried to ignore Liam’s muffled groans of pain. He was mentally kicking himself. He wondered if he didn’t describe it correctly or if he should have spotted it himself and was starting to shake a little as his mind spiraled out. Alec pulled him into a hug and whispered right into his ear.

“Hey, it’s going to be ok. He’s going to be alright.”

“Liam, just bite down on the damn shirt.” Theo huffed.

“No, it’s fine, just pull it out.”

“Ok, but if they hear us coming because you--”

“Fine, give me the damn thing.”

Nolan leaned into Alec. Smelling his boyfriend instead of the awful stench of the sewer was at least an upside to this unfortunate stop. He breathed in deep and tried to calm himself, but the sound of Liam screaming through clenched teeth and flannel fabric did not inspire any calm at all. Alec hugged him tighter during Liam’s second muffled scream.

“Alright Liam, I’ll go as quick as I can, but this is still going to suck.”

There was a click and then Nolan could hear one of their small blow torches being lit up. He peaked over Alec’s shoulder and had instant regret at the sight of Theo burning out one of Liam’s wounds. The torching alone might not have been bad, but the blood from where the darts had been pulled out was a lot more than he’d expected to see. Alec spun them so he couldn’t make the same mistake again, his only view was pipes and concrete now.

As the process went on for a lot longer than Nolan could have handled he stood there buried in the crook of Alec’s neck, arms squeezing tight and even tighter when he could hear spikes in Liam’s pain. He knew this kind of thing could have just as easily happened to Alec and he hoped that he wouldn’t have to see it. Realistically, he hoped he’d be strong to stay with him while his wounds were treated. Nolan hoped he had even an ounce of the determination and patience Alec had offered him these past few days.

“Ok, give me the shirt so we can wrap your arm, Liam.”

Nolan heard what sounded like the shirt being tossed around and a low growl. Then a sort of quick sound of fabric on fabric and a grunt that he guessed was Liam. There was a brief moment of silence, during which he felt Alec laugh a little, before he could tell Theo was helping Liam back onto his feet.

“What’s so funny?” Nolan couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

Alec kept his whisper extra quiet, speaking right into Nolan’s ear, “More cute than funny. Theo just kissed both of the spots where Liam got hit.”

Nolan agreed, it definitely sounded oddly adorable for the two of them. He couldn’t really think of when he’d seen much affection between the two of them that didn’t basically amount to ensuring they were in each other’s personal bubbles. The night in Theo’s room was probably the most he’d seen outside of tiny little kisses and hugs that happened whenever they had to be away from each other and when they met back up again.

“Alright, that cost us some time, but obviously rushing is a bad idea.” Liam didn’t sound any worse for wear.

Nolan stayed back as Liam took the lead again. Theo was right behind him staying a lot closer than he had initially. Alec was also sticking closer to Nolan now, but kept a vigilant gaze ahead of them into the sewer’s tunnels. Three sets of supernatural senses sweeping for the next trap.

They caught a couple more before they made it to their destination. One was a tripwire they were able to easily avoid. The second required some disarming before they could pass.

Nolan had ended up being the one to do it, as simply describing what to do to Liam had almost triggered it. There was a quiet cheer from the other three when he’d finally pulled it off. He’d already been happy just to be useful, but it felt even better to have it celebrated, even if it was in such a small way.

As they continued on, Alec tugged him close for a moment, “Good work, baby.”

Nolan got a peck on the cheek followed by the quick squeeze of a sideways hug. He couldn’t help but blush, Alec’s affection always did that to him. Even as they trudged through dark sewer tunnels dodging traps as they headed into a fight, Alec could still make him feel like they were the only two people in the world.

Nolan clung to those seconds of appreciation and affection, trying to slow them down in his mind. Hoping in vain to not have to come back to the incredibly messed up reality of their situation. Of course, it did, and it would bring the cold air, gross smells, and sense of danger right back with it. A danger that felt like it built every time another minute passed. Nolan hoped it didn’t get the better of him.

* * *

Liam waited with the rest of his team. They’d been waiting for what felt like a suspiciously long time. He checked his phone and what had felt like half an hour, was only 10 minutes. The sheriff probably hadn’t even gotten his deputies to the diner yet. He figured he could at least check on the other team, so he texted Mason.

_Hey, everyone looking ok over there?_

_ Yeah, Peter’s still embarrassed he tripped that trap though. _

_ Embarrassed? _

_ He forcefully took the lead from Parrish and he’s been making sure we all notice when he disarms a trap. _

_ lol, ok. Are you and Corey doing alright? _

_ We’re good, just don’t like all this waiting. _

_ Me either. _

“Everything ok?” Theo whispered from behind him.

“Yeah, just, checking in with Mason.”

Liam wanted to just step back into Theo’s arms and try to imagine he was anywhere else, but he also needed to set an example. He steeled himself, doing his best to ignore how gross their surroundings were and keep a stern face. He checked on the other two and saw Nolan nervously bouncing a leg until Alec put an arm around his shoulders. He turned back to his phone as it vibrated with another text from Mason.

_ Nolan holding up? _

_ Surprisingly well. He looks nervous, but I think us needing his help has been good for him. _

_ Good. Alec? _

_ Ready to fight. _

_ I feel bad for any hunter that tries to hurt Nolan tonight. _

_ lol, right? Seriously though, he’ll be in the back, so he should be fine. _

_ Yeah, yeah. I’ll be in the back over here too. _

_ You still have your half of the pills right? _

_ Yep. Ready to give these hunters a little hallucinogenic snack. _

_ You’re absolutely sure they’ll work? _

_ More than eighty percent sure. _

Liam sent a squinting emoji all by itself and rolled his eyes. They’d just have to see what would happen. His hand buzzed and his best friend had sent a shrug emoji in response. Liam locked his phone and waited.

After a few more minutes passed, his phone buzzed again. The sheriff sent confirmation they had surrounded the diner and were about to raid it. Liam tensed. He knew there was a chance that the sheriff’s SWAT team might end up handling it, but after they had disarmed so many traps on their way here it was hard to think they wouldn’t end up trying to escape through the tunnels.

Liam started hyping himself up and he could sense Theo doing the same. He cleared his throat to get Alec and Nolan’s attention. When they looked over at him, Alec nodded and shooed Nolan back down the tunnel a bit before moving up closer to him and Theo.

There was a loud clang ahead of them, which Liam couldn’t possibly guess the source of. Then the pattering of feet all running together. From the way it sounded the hunters were running to the other team. There was some shouting and arguing, but one voice rose above the rest. Liam couldn’t possibly forget it. She was here. Monroe was running towards a hellhound, a former alpha, whatever Corey was, and his best friend. He really hoped Mason would stay back.

It wasn’t long before there were some gunshots and yelling from the far end of the tunnel. No wait, that wasn’t yelling it was screaming. And that was Parrish’s roar. And Peter’s. More shots fired and now the feet were coming this way. Liam counted and he could tell there were less feet now. Liam’s phone vibrated and on the notification screen he could see a text from Mason.

_ Coming your way. _

He shoved the phone in his pocket and grabbed Theo’s hand. Liam tensed, preparing himself for a maneuver. He spared a moment to check back. Nolan was out of sight, which was where he was supposed to be. Alec had moved up, but stayed ducked out of view of the main tunnel. Liam held up a finger on his free hand, signaling the other two to wait as the feet came closer.

“Run faster!” Monroe’s voice echoed off the tunnel walls.

There, they were close enough. Liam braced against the concrete and put all of his strength into throwing Theo at the hunters. He could already see Alec moving out of the corner of his eyes. Next, he pushed off into a leap.

Theo flying at them mid-air caught them off guard. He crashed into one, knocking the hunter to the ground, their head landing with a solid thud. Theo used the fallen hunter to launch at the next hunter.

Liam’s pounce had him bowl into another hunter’s shins, knocking the man’s feet out from under him. As the hunter fell behind him and he sprung towards his next target, he caught a glimpse of Monroe towards the back of the group. She was looking down at something he couldn’t see. His momentum channeled through him, into his foot, and up into the hunter’s chin.

Theo landed right beside him. Liam watched the chimera’s body tense and brace. He knew what that meant and he was soon using Theo as a springboard into his next attack. Another brief moment of Monroe in view. This time he saw that she was fumbling with some bullets. He lost her again when he spun his body and cracked his elbow into the side of a hunter’s face. As he continued his spin, he saw Alec knocking out one of the hunter’s they’d knocked down a moment ago.

This time Liam was the one to brace himself as his back hit the ground. He felt the claws grab him just above the ankle as he was being lifted off the ground. Theo swung him like a baseball bat, knocking out two more hunters. There was a blast to his side as a hunter fired a shotgun. Bits of buckshot dug into his skin. Liam was thankful when it didn’t suddenly hurt worse like the crossbow bolt after the movies. The pain did make him falter and he just missed a swipe at one of the few remaining hunters, his momentum bringing him down to the ground.

Theo roared as he bashed one of the hunters bodily into another one, before reaching up and doing the same thing to their heads. Alec appeared from Liam’s left, knocking aside the hunter’s shotgun and sending it slamming into the wall before it clattered to the ground. Liam tried to push up to get back to his feet, but didn’t realize how much of him had been hit. He slipped and fell back to the ground.

He had a clear view of Monroe now, all of her backup was down. Liam watched the fear on her face turn to something wicked as she pointed her handgun at him. She mumbled, but Liam could hear her words.

“If I can’t get Scott, at least I can get his beta.”

She started firing and Liam winced, closing his eyes instinctively. He expected there to be more pain, but there wasn’t. The only thing he felt was the same damage from the buckshot. He opened his eyes and looked up. He didn’t see Monroe, because someone was between them. Theo had knelt in front of him, putting his body in the way of the shots and Liam couldn’t tell if he was moving. Or breathing.

* * *

Theo almost hadn’t caught it. He’d almost missed his chance to save Liam. There was no way he was going to let something happen to him. Not after everything they’d been though. Not after he was finally able to be honest with him. Shit. No. He had one more thing to say.

Theo pushed hard into his shift, bringing out as much of his power as he could. As his eyes gleamed at Monroe he saw her expression change from hatred to disgust. She dropped the clip out of her handgun, the one she’d just emptied into him and scrambled for another one. Theo forced himself to his feet and slowly started walking towards her. He watched as fear washed over her.

“How are you even standing?” Monroe’s voice trembled, “That much wolfsbane should be lethal!”

Theo smirked as the edges of his vision blurred, “Too bad for you, I’m not a werewolf.”

Monroe’s eyes went wide, wider than he thought possible, “What the hell are you?”

He stumbled closer, the floor seemed to ripple beneath him, “One of a kind.”

Just as Theo got close, he saw her find the clip she’d been searching for. He fell forward and managed to knock it out of her hand. As he hit the ground, he felt pain radiate from each and every one of the bullets that were lodged inside him. She loomed over him now, a distorted giant looking down on him. Her face contorted in ways he didn’t understand.

She jerked and twisted, her vast shape extending down the length of the sewer. A beast looked down at him now, something vicious and wicked. Theo was ready to fight it, he wasn’t going to let anything hurt Liam. Whatever this thing was, he was certain it wanted to hurt them.

He lunged at it, trying to pin it down, but it moved in a way he didn’t expect, a way he couldn’t have expected. It bent and shifted like a snake, dodging every one of Theo’s attacks. He still ached, but he had to keep fighting. He had to stop this thing.

He kept chasing, not letting the beast out of view, trying in vain to land an attack as it danced out of his range. The bullets felt worse and worse the more he moved. He struggled to get out one last swing, finally making contact and knocking the creature into the wall. Then there was one last sharp pain, before blackness.

* * *

Liam rushed to Theo’s side as he fell upon Monroe. He heard the skid of metal as the clip had flown out of her hand and down the tunnel. She was going to say something, but Liam didn’t want to hear it. He couldn’t afford to hate her any more than he already did or he might do something he’d regret.

So as she tried to get up and out from under Theo, Liam knocked her into next week. Part of him hoped it hadn’t been hard enough to knock her out, just so he would have an excuse to hit her again. Unfortunately, it had, but he’d hit her hard enough that she flew back a couple feet and skidded along the floor of the tunnel.

There was growling beside him as Theo stared up at Alec. His newest packmate’s eyes still glowed as he looked at all the downed hunters. Theo lunged at Alec who backpedaled as quickly as he could. Liam was so confused he was frozen in place.

There was something wild about the way Theo moved and attacked. This assault definitely lacked his normal strength and precision. Alec would have definitely been shredded already if Theo was in top form.

Wait, no, Liam should do something about this. He tensed up and watched Theo move, waiting for the right time to strike, but he didn’t get the chance. As Theo took what would be his final lunge, Nolan swung one of the hunter’s shotguns by the barrel, clubbing Theo in the back of the head and bringing him down flat. Nolan’s chest heaved as he stared at Theo. When he noticed Liam looking at him he dropped the shotgun and hid behind Alec.

Liam stopped to listen then, checking Theo first. His heartbeat was slow, but it was there. Alec’s was racing and Nolan’s was beating almost as fast. The hunters were all out cold. 

Liam knew he needed to be reassuring right now, “You’re fine Nolan.”

“I didn’t really mean to. I was just trying to-”   
“Yep. You just beat me to it.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Wanna start doing your part?”

“My pa- Oh!”

Nolan pulled the pill bottle out of his jacket and started administering the pills. Liam moved to Theo and turned him over. He was covered in bullet holes. His mind raced trying to think of what he should be doing. All he could feel was Alec staring down at him.

“Go help Nolan.”

Liam couldn’t keep the growl out of his voice. Alec did as he asked, very quickly. He tried to focus again now that he wasn’t being watched. He didn’t know what to do. He was having a hard time even telling how hurt Theo was. He ripped apart the bullet riddled shirt as new shadows fell over him.

“That doesn’t look good. Is he?” Mason couldn’t finish his question.

“He’s alive.” Liam was still growling.

“You better start fishing out those bullets.” Peter started to lean against the sewer wall until he looked at it.

Liam hated that Peter was right. He forced out his claws and got to work. He grimaced each time he dug into one of the wounds, trying to get what was left of the bullets inside them.

“Oh, nope.” Mason suppressed a gag.

“Come on, hun.” Corey’s voice.

Liam felt the pair move away, but he was still focused on his task, “Hey, maybe you wanna help instead of just standing there?”

“Oh, no. Surgery’s really not my thing.”

“It is today!” Liam didn’t care that he growled this time.

Peter grumbled as he crouched down next to Liam, “Fine, didn’t get enough blood on my claws today anyway.”

Over the next few minutes they were able to fish the bullets out. Each one stunk of that new wolfsbane, but Theo didn’t have even a trace of it in his blood. Liam hated the feeling of the blood on his fingers and it only got worse as it cooled in the cold underground air.

Peter wiped his fingers off on some of Theo’s torn shirt, shrugging as he dropped it, “What?”

Liam didn’t know what Peter saw on his face then. He felt like he was glaring. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t like what Peter had just done, he just knew he absolutely didn’t.

“Thanks.” Liam grumbled.

“Okay...” Peter emphasized the o.

Liam was thankful when the other werewolf left. He listened closely to Theo’s heart but it hadn’t improved yet. He looked back at the rest of the team. They were all watching him, waiting. Until Parrish got a message.

“They've breached up top. We’ve gotta get out of here.” Parrish looked at Liam

“Ok, yeah. Let’s go.”

With the adrenaline gone and no specific task at hand, it finally hit him. Theo was hurt, really hurt. He didn’t know if he should move him, but he didn’t have a choice. Liam hefted Theo over his shoulder and stood up.

He didn’t want to let Monroe out of their sight, but that was the deal. They would be gone and the Sheriff would have the hunters arrested. And now, with Theo unconscious, he had to get him out of here to get him help.

He gestured for someone to go ahead and Peter ended up being the one to do it. Every step felt awful. Every moment that Theo hung limply over his shoulder felt worse than the buckshot did. He just had to hope that Theo’s healing wasn’t overwhelmed and keep his own feet moving. The sooner they got out of the sewer, the sooner they could get to Melissa. Then she could fix Theo.

Liam fought back tears as they marched to Theo’s truck. At least until he started to get angry. Why did he have to do that? Why did he dive in front of him? Why was he such a liar?

* * *

Nolan was in the back of the truck with Alec, Corey, and Mason. Through the back window he could see Liam in the backseat of the cab, still holding Theo. He could see the tears on his cheeks and he understood. Peter was in the passenger seat because no one wanted him to drive. Which left Parrish as their driver.

They were rushing back to Melissa’s and there was a weird sort of calm among them. Calm probably wasn’t the right word, but he was sure none of them felt as shocked as he did. The sounds of gunfire and fighting still circled back into his ears. The image of his friends hurt was something he was having a hard time pushing away. The smell of the sewer still clung to them and he could almost taste it.

Thankfully, at least one of his senses wasn't haunting him. Alec had wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close. He could feel him breathing through the nose and lips that rested in his hair.

“Thanks for saving me back there.” Alec whispered.

“I didn’t-”

“Sh sh sh. Yes you did. You’re my hero.”

Nolan blushed, “I’m not-”

“My. God. Damn. Hero.”

Alec wrapped his other arm around him, pulling him close and rocking them both back and forth. Nolan was kind of dizzied by it and a little scared considering they weren’t strapped in. When he didn’t protest Alec’s words the playful shaking stopped and he was happy to just be held against his chest.

He closed his eyes and stayed there, head pressed against Alec’s heart. Part of him worried about Theo, he wasn’t looking great, but he figured he couldn’t be doing worse or Liam would probably be freaking out. Nolan was thankful Alec wasn’t at the head of the fight. It had kept him from getting hurt.

Eventually, the truck shook as it pulled into Melissa’s driveway. The engine cut off and the hug he was wrapped up in loosened. Alec jumped over the side and helped Nolan climb out. Corey and Mason were already heading to the door. Liam was trying to get Theo out of the back seat carefully, but was clearly having some issues. Alec approached slowly and Liam eventually allowed him to help, but carried Theo himself once he was out of the car.

They all rushed inside, except Peter who walked slowly as he stared at his phone. Corey and Mason had cleared off the kitchen island and Liam layed Theo out across it. Melissa was already checking his wounds.

“That’s a lot of gunshot wounds.” Melissa grabbed a pair of forceps and started to look down into one of them.

“I already took the bullets out.” Liam reached into a pocket and pulled out a handful of bent, broken and blood-stained metal.

“Ok.” Melissa set down the tool and stood up straight, “You’re going to need to kickstart his healing.”

“How?” Liam’s eyes were desperate.

Peter finally came inside, face still in his phone, “More pain usually does the trick.”

“What?! He’s already hurt!”

Melissa shook her head slowly, “It can work, but Liam’s right he’s already pretty hurt.”

Peter shrugged, “Then try taking some of his pain, kid might be overwhelmed.”

“You couldn’t lead with that?” Liam glared.

“It’s not exactly my go to.”

“Ugh!”

Nolan hugged onto Alec from behind, watching the scene unfold over his shoulder. He was worried for Theo, they’d just started to actually be friends and now this. He desperately hoped this wasn’t his fault for having knocked Theo out in the sewer.

Alec’s hands covered his and squeezed. He was just as tense as Nolan while they watched everything that was happening in the kitchen. They both held their breath as Liam put his hands around Theo’s face and started drawing out the pain.

Melissa’s worry seemed to deepen the longer things went on. The black lines traced up both of Liam’s hands, but Theo still lay there unconscious. Nolan clutched tighter against Alec as the seconds passed, pressed his mouth against the back of his boyfriend’s shoulder while they waited for something to happen.

No one said anything. There was an almost freakish silence in the house which only seemed more quiet when they could hear Liam’s sniffling and choked sobs. He didn’t stop, he just kept pulling pain out of Theo.

And then there was an awful wheezing sound which had Nolan grasping onto Alec for dear life. A grip that loosened as Liam started to laugh with relief and Melissa’s whole body relaxed. Nolan could hear Corey and Mason let out sighs of relief and start actually breathing again.

“No, little wolf, no tears...” Theo’s voice was weak and soft.

“I can’t believe you did that.” Liam muttered.

Theo’s voice was a little loopy, “Did what?”

Liam didn’t answer, probably realizing like Nolan did that Theo was not all there. Melissa came closer again and started examining the chimera’s wounds. She nodded to herself and grinned.

“Looks like he’s started healing.”

“Mom?” Theo’s voice was full of wonder.

“Oh, honey. No, it’s Melissa.”

“Mom!”

Liam wrestled Theo back down as he tried to hug her, “Hey, no. Don’t move. You’re not done healing yet.”

“You take such good care of me, little wolf.”

“I’m trying.”

“Just one of the reasons I love you.”

Nolan’s eyes went wide as he squeezed his boyfriend again. With his mouth closed and firmly pressed against Alec’s shoulder, he still couldn’t stop the excited sound that screamed from his throat. He heard chuckles from the people closest to him as he buried his face further out of embarrassment.

Parrish saved him from being stuck in that moment by delivering some news, “Just got the update from the sheriff. Monroe’s in custody.”


	31. Recovery

Theo’s vision was still kind of hazy and warped. There was something so soft and angelic about Liam as he hovered over him. It felt like a dream, really. His new mother was there too, making sure he was ok. It all made him feel so safe.

He honestly couldn’t think of the last time he’d felt safe. Maybe some distant memory from over a decade ago, but not this. The two people in the world that had given him a second chance were right here and he loved them both.

Melissa he loved like a parent. He hadn’t had someone looking out for him in ages. It was hard to admit that it was something he needed or even something he wanted, but it was. He still didn’t feel like he deserved her forgiveness. That didn’t change just how thankful for it he was. He should probably actually tell her that.

Liam, on the other hand, was so much more to him. He’d known for a while that he’d fallen for him. It happened that night with the hunters in the hospital. He’d wanted to do more than just fight beside him, but he held himself back. Now, the only thing holding him back was literally Liam. He wanted to reach out and hug them, but apparently he wasn’t allowed to move. So instead, he trusted Liam and lay there staring up at his halo.

Mom moved around behind Liam and started picking at his shirt. He had a hard time understanding the words at first, but he started to make them out towards the end. Mom and Liam both seemed upset.

“You gonna let me take care of this or not?” Mom was out of patience.

“Can we wait ‘til he’s ok?” Liam was looking at Theo’s chest.

“He’s healing Liam and you are too.”

“Then what’s there to take care of?” Liam grumbled.

Another voice, condescending and sarcastic, maybe Peter, “You probably don’t want to heal around the buckshot, kid.”

“Take off your shirt.” Mom was done.

Theo smiled at the sight of Liam as the shirt lifted over his head. He was so fucking beautiful. Theo put his hand over Liam’s chest, right over his heart. Hey lay flat on the table blissfully feeling it beat in his palm. Such a perfect, important heart. One he hoped would never stop beating.

Theo felt Liam’s pulse pick up as Mom started doing something to his shoulder. There was an occasional sound of metal on metal as she dropped things into a small tray. Liam cringed as she really focused on his shoulder and Theo frowned at the pain that flashed over Liam’s face.

He didn’t like it, so he started taking it. Black veins tracing up the hand on Liam’s chest. He could see relaxation set in on his angel’s face before it was replaced with suspicion and concern. Liam pulled the hand away.

“Stop, Theo, you need to heal first.”

“But you’re hurt...”

“Not as bad as you.”

“I want to help...”

“Then focus on yourself first.”

“Ok...” Theo couldn’t keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Liam turned his head, looking back over his shoulder, “What is going on with him?”

A smart voice, Mason maybe, “I think I know, actually.”

“Ok...” Liam clearly wanted him to continue.

“It’s the wolfsbane. I think he’s being affected like a human would.”

“So, he’s hallucinating?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

No. No way was Theo hallucinating. Liam was his perfect angel and he had finally gotten the halo he deserved. He wondered if his little wolf had wings now too.

Liam winced again and he wanted to take his pain, but he trusted that his angel was right and that he should let himself heal first. He still didn’t want to see him hurt though. Theo wondered if he might be able to sneak just a little of Liam’s pain away, but he figured he’d probably get caught. He decided upsetting Liam would be worse than the occasional wincing.

Liam’s little flashes of pain stopped when Mom was finally done picking at this shoulder. She set the tool she was using in the metal dish. She checked over Theo’s wounds again before scanning the room.

“Anyone else need medical attention?”

“Peter?” Yeah, that voice was definitely Mason’s.

“I’m fine.” And that was definitely Peter.

“Are you sure? Because that trap-”

“I’m fine!”

There was snickering and laughter off to the side, but Theo barely noticed. He was lost in Liam’s face again. He lifted his hand and gently brushed his cheek with a thumb. Liam smiled and it was the most gorgeous thing he’d ever seen in his whole life.

“You’re so beautiful...” The words rolled out of his mouth without a thought.

“And you’re high out of your mind right now.” Liam laughed.

Theo pouted and Liam only laughed harder. He smiled again as his little wolf brushed his hair back, the fingers moving across his scalp were soothing. Liam kissed his forehead and Theo got lost again just staring at him.

* * *

Nolan watched from the couch as Liam came back downstairs alone. He’d taken Theo upstairs once the chimera had mostly healed over. Theo had definitely seemed out of it, rambling nonsense here and there.

Over the last couple hours, they’d taken some showers and gotten changed at Melissa’s insistence. They did all smell like a sewer, so it was a fair ask of them. Nolan had taken his with Alec already and actually felt pretty refreshed as they curled up on the couch together.

“Any updates from the sheriff?” Liam looked at Parrish.

“Oh, yeah. They had to put Monroe in restraints. She kept trying to fight her own men. Apparently, she kept calling them monsters.” The deputy shrugged.

Nolan’s eyes darted around the house, checking to see if anyone was looking at him. He knew he shouldn’t have done it, but he was too angry at her. He also didn’t think an extra dose would really hurt. It was so easy to just give two of the pills to Monroe, so he did.

“That’s... odd.” Melissa added before sipping a fresh cup of coffee.

“Maybe she’s trying to plead insanity or something.” Parrish put his phone away.

“I guess she’s never seen Eichen House.” Liam let out a small laugh.

Nolan nestled back against Alec and watched as Liam grabbed some of what was left of the pizza Melissa had ordered and a bottle of water from the kitchen before taking one of the seats across from them. There was still this sort of surreal feeling hanging in the air. It was hard to believe that everything was over and that next week they’d be going back to their regular lives again. He felt sort of jealous of how Liam seemed to be handling this so well.

“You guys ok?” Liam glanced up from his pizza.

“I’m ok.” Alec's voice was right in his ear.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Nolan wasn’t actually sure.

Liam shook his head before taking another bite of his pizza. They all sat quietly watching the sitcom on TV, the only laughter in the room was what had been pre-recorded. Eventually, Corey and Mason came down from their shower in fresh clothes and took the other end of the couch.   
“Hey guys.” Mason sounded worn out.

“Hey.” Liam, Alec, and Nolan all responded one after the other.

“How’s Theo?”

“Sleeping. His wounds healed, but he’s still pretty out of it.” Liam sounded both relieved and worried somehow.

“And you?” Corey raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’m ok.” Liam shrugged.

There was another long stretch of silence between them. Corey and Mason stared at the TV, but it didn’t seem like they were actually watching the show. Liam casually drank his entire bottle of water and Nolan couldn’t help but laugh. Everyone turned to look at him.

“Sorry, just, didn’t expect that.” Nolan shrugged.

“I was thirsty.”

“Clearly.”

This time Nolan wasn’t alone when he laughed. It felt good to hear it even if it was brief. Things had been so serious for the last week that even a moment of levity felt nice. Melissa came over, brow furrowed. Past her, he could see Parrish finally heading out after finishing his pizza.

“Do you guys need anything?” After they all declined, she continued, “Well, the rest of the pizza’s still in the kitchen and there’s plenty of drinks in the fridge. I’m tired. It’s been a long day. I’m going to bed. You all should think about doing the same.”

They all nodded and watched as she headed upstairs. They spent a little while longer sitting there with the TV on before Corey and Mason left the couch for their mattress. They said the TV wouldn’t bother them, but Nolan still turned it off. He figured he and Alec would probably sleep a lot better tonight considering everything was finally over and Peter and Rafe had left a couple hours ago.

Liam’s ringtone started going off and he looked a lot more awake when he checked who it was, “I’ve got to take this. G’night guys.”

Liam headed for the door, answering his phone as he stepped outside. They were alone again. He looked at Alec, studying his features. The line of his jaw. The soft curve of his cheek. The deep brown eyes. The curls that almost spilled over them.

He kissed him then, slow and gentle, and Alec kissed him back. Alec’s fingertip brushed the edge of Nolan’s ear and those big brown eyes stared at him. He sighed and stared back for a moment.

Then Alec was lifting him up and carrying him to their air mattress, “Come on hero, let’s get some rest.

“I’m not-”

“Ah, ah. We already covered this.”

Nolan relented as he was gently set down. Alec joined him and pulled the blanket across them before nestling his back in against Nolan’s chest and pulling one of his arms around him. Nolan chuckled a bit.

“The hero gets to be the big spoon.” Alec said as if it should be obvious.

“Then I guess I’m the hero.” Nolan hugged him closer.

“Yep. My hero.”

Alec wiggled a little for emphasis and that was the last thing Nolan remembered. After that he passed right out. He woke up from a dreamless sleep a few hours later, Alec still asleep in his arms, enjoying the feeling for a bit before he drifted off again.

* * *

Liam swiped to answer his phone before stepping out of the door to the kitchen. He had expected this call, but not so soon. Honestly, he wasn’t really ready for it.

“Hey.” Liam offered his greeting before shutting the door behind him.

“Hey.” Scott sounded a little apprehensive.

Liam knew he was going to have this conversation, but he thought he’d get more time to prepare for it. He’d hoped at least to get some rest and sleep off the intensity of everything. He’d been half tempted to let the call go to voicemail, but that just wasn’t something he could do to his alpha. There was a pause as Liam waited for Scott to take the lead in the conversation.

“So, Parrish said they have Monroe in custody.”

“Yep.” Liam patiently waited through another pause.

“So, should I be congratulating you?”

“Yeah, we got her.”

“We?”

“Yeah, me, Theo, Mason, Corey, Alec, Nolan, Parrish, and Peter. Rafe gave us some good info. Your mom helped patch us up after. Technically, the sheriff’s department helped too.”

“Wow, that’s a lot.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Pack and allies right?”

“Right.” Scott took a breath, “Hey, I want you to know that I knew you could do this.”

“Okay.” Liam shrugged even though he knew Scott couldn’t see it.

“Are you ok? Did anyone get hurt?”

Liam took a moment to remind himself, “Peter tripped a trap, but he’s fine now. I got caught by one too, but we took care of it. Took a shotgun to the shoulder in the fight, your mom helped with that. Theo... Theo, uh...”

He couldn’t just say Theo got shot. It was definitely more than that. Monroe had emptied an entire clip into him that was meant for Liam. Every bullet had been coated in that new wolfsbane. Liam didn’t want to think about what might have happened if Theo hadn’t been there.

“Did something happen to Theo?” Did Scott actually sound worried?

“Yeah, something did. He saved my life, Scott. Monroe was going to shoot me, but he protected me. He took every bullet.”

Liam teared up a little as he spoke, remembering that moment. That pause between the last shot and when Theo started moving towards Monroe. That brief moment when he didn’t know if Theo would start moving again.

“Liam, is he...?”

He sniffled a bit, “He’s ok. We got the bullets out and he started healing again.”

Scott breathed out what sounded like a sigh of relief, “Good.”

There was another pause. Liam didn’t really have anything to add and more than anything he wanted to go check on Theo now, but he wasn’t going to just hang up on his alpha. Eventually, Scott offered him an out.

“You’re probably tired. I’ll talk to you later, ok?”

“Yeah, I am pretty exhausted.”

“Ok, we’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon.” Liam repeated.

He hung up the phone before the words really registered. There was a flare of panic as he realized their next conversation would be in person. He really hoped some sleep would make him feel better about that.

Liam wiped the remaining wetness from his eyes and tucked his phone into his pocket. He gingerly opened the door to the house, trying to be as quiet as possible. He closed it just as carefully once he was inside.

He paused at the bottom of the stairs to check on his friends. Mason and Corey were tangled together, holding each other’s hands in their sleep. He chuckled a bit when he saw Alec being held by Nolan. It seemed a little strange, but he was glad to see them so comfortable together.

As Liam delicately climbed the stairs, he grinned. They’d all looked so peaceful, much like Theo had when he’d left him last. He hoped that would still be the case once he got upstairs.

He narrowly avoided a creaking floorboard and a squealing door hinge and made it into Theo’s room without making any loud sounds. He shut the door and leaned against the wall, staring at his boyfriend asleep on the bed. His grin turned into a smile of relief that Theo was still ok.

Liam quietly undressed before slipping into the bed. When he peeled back the covers he could see Theo’s chest, the skin was smooth and soft. Just a few hours ago it had been a mess of wounds, but now there wasn’t so much as a hint of redness. He touched a couple of the places where he’d had to dig in his claws to pull out the bullets. Liam was glad all that was left was a memory.

Theo’s eyes slowly fluttered, taking a little time before they were able to focus on him. Liam couldn’t help but chuckle at the idea that he must still be high. Theo’s face filled with joy as he awkwardly tried to pull Liam into a hug.

“Liam!”

He hugged him back and let their legs tangle together. He used a hand to brush Theo’s hair back before letting his fingers trail over the edge of his ear and getting a wider smile in return. Liam leaned forward and planted a kiss on Theo’s forehead, settling back on his pillow afterwards.

“Get some more sleep, teddywolf.”

Theo nodded, “Ok, little wolf.”

Liam was a little thrown off when Theo snuggled in against him, head against his heart. He liked it though and once they were settled in, Theo’s warmth and scent helped him drift off to sleep. One more peaceful night with his boyfriend before they would have to deal with his alpha and his father.

* * *

Theo woke up feeling a little less hazy. Liam was still fast asleep, moving his head and cheek with each breath. He carefully tilted his gaze upward and didn’t see any trace of the halo he remembered and certainly no wings. His head throbbed as a dull ache set in and he started to wonder why he even expected to see a halo in the first place.

As he lay there, not wanting to wake Liam, spotty memories of the night before started coming back to him. Liam had taken care of him in his drug addled stupor. So had Melissa. Then bits and pieces of their conversations started coming back and he started to worry.

Liam shifted and stretched, in the process of waking up. Theo felt a kiss on the top of his head and nuzzled into Liam’s fuzzy chest before rolling back a bit to look at him. He was still so beautiful and his smile made it seem like he hadn’t ruined anything with his rambling last night.

“Morning.” Liam’s voice was a little hoarse.

“Hey.”

Theo leaned in and kissed Liam. Their lips played at each other for a while before he trailed his kisses across the line of Liam’s chin, down his neck, and over his collar bone. Theo nuzzled into Liam’s shoulder, still feeling a bit drowsy.

“I still can’t believe you did that...” Liam let out a sigh.

“I wasn’t going to let her shoot you.”

Theo could tell he wanted to argue more. It would have been a waste of time. They’d already risked their lives for each other so many times and at this point, it wasn’t anything new.

Liam took a deep breath, “So, Scott’s going to be here today.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

“And the rest of the pack too.”

Theo nodded, “Yeah, figures.”

“You’ll stay with me, right?”

“Of course.”

He could tell Liam was worried, but he wasn’t sure why. He’d already stayed with him at the last pack meeting and he couldn’t think of any reason Hayden would be at this one, so it would probably be easier. He pulled back a bit to watch Liam’s face and try to get a better understanding of why he seemed stressed.

“Thank you.” Liam offered him half of a grin.

“So, I guess that will make us really official.”

“Huh?” Liam quirked his brow.

“Well, first you tell your best friend, then you change your social media status, and then you bring them to a pack meeting, right?”

Liam chuckled, “Yeah, maybe.”

Theo couldn’t stop the comment, “You have such a nice smile.”

“So do you.” Liam kissed his cheek.

“So, anything else to stress about besides the upcoming pack meeting?”

Theo was joking again, but the words didn’t seem funny to Liam. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before biting his lip. When he nervously looked away Theo knew he’d hit on something accidentally.

“What’s wrong, little wolf?”

“My parents. I still have to explain all of this to them.”

Theo grabbed Liam’s hand and held it in his before gently kissing the back of it. He massaged it with his thumbs as he tried to catch Liam’s gaze again. When their eyes met, Theo reminded him of his offer.

“If you want me there for that, just let me know, ok?”

Liam nodded, “I do. I want you there.”

“Then I’ll be there.”

Theo kissed the back of Liam’s hand again and gave it another squeeze. He would have loved to spend the rest of the day laying there together, but with so much coming up, he figured it would be better if they started getting ready. He gave Liam another kiss before untangling their legs.

“Let’s go take a shower, little wolf.” Theo suggested.

“Can’t we stay in bed for a while?” Liam whined.

“We can, but we might miss out on hot water.”

Liam sighed, “Good point.”

Theo got up, dragging Liam by the hand to grab some fresh clothes. He let go as they picked out what they were going to wear. They each ended up with a small bundle they brought to the bathroom.

Theo started up the shower, eyes on Liam as he tested the water until it was hot enough. They got in together and took turns under the water just letting the heat soak into them for a bit. Theo definitely wanted to do more than just shower, but that would have to wait for when Liam was less stressed out.

Theo massaged some shampoo into Liam’s hair, “So, any thoughts on breakfast?”

“Can we order in? I don’t want you to have to cook. Especially if you aren’t really feeling better yet.”

“I’m doing ok, but yeah, we can order from somewhere.”

“Ok, good.” Liam leaned his head back and rinsed it off.

Theo rubbed some body wash between his hands and started soaping Liam up, “Your shoulder looks good.”

“Yeah, ‘Mom’ took good care of it.” Liam snickered.

Theo shook his head, “I’m not going to hear the end of that for a long time, am I?”

“Definitely not.”

Theo rolled his eyes. He helped Liam rinse off before trading places with him, the warm water felt nice cascading over him. Liam grabbed the shampoo but paused before putting any in his hand.

“Theo, did you mean anything you said last night?” Liam looked him in the eye.

“Like what?”

“You, uh... you said you loved me.”

“Did I?” Theo tried to be playful.

“So, you didn’t mean it.” Liam bit his lip and looked away.

Theo closed his eyes and huffed out a sigh, “Liam... I, um...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, if you're interested in following my writing in general you can check me out on Tumblr at [arewordsenough](https://arewordsenough.tumblr.com/)  
> I'm always open to prompt ideas and I've got auctions in a charity event that kicks off shortly.  
> I'd love to hear from you guys on there.  
> Have a great weekend!


	32. Confession

Liam dug his teeth into his lip harder. He didn’t like the way Theo paused between words or the worried look in his eyes before Liam had turned away. No, he shouldn’t have asked. He should have just pretended like it hadn’t happened. He’d gotten his hopes up and now they were going to be dashed. Hard.

Why would Theo love him anyway? They’d only been going out for a couple weeks. It felt like a lot longer than that, but it was still such a short amount of time. Liam stopped before his teeth drew blood and forced himself to look at Theo again. The worried eyes were still there and he didn’t know why, but it hurt.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know why I asked.” Liam knew he sounded disappointed.

Liam felt the shampoo being taken from him and set back in the rack. Theo was watching his face as he swiped strands of hair off of it. Liam was going to turn away again, but a hand stopped him, holding his face so Theo could look in his eyes.

“I know I said it.” Theo admitted.

“But you didn’t mean it.” Liam’s heart sunk as the words left his mouth.

“Damnit, Liam.” Theo huffed.

“It’s ok. I get it.” That didn’t mean that he liked it.

“Would you just, give me a fucking minute?”

Theo sounded frustrated now. Great. Just great, Liam. You’ve pissed him off now. Why are you like this? Theo was still looking at his face, but it wasn’t a glare of anger. Somehow he just seemed scared and that felt so wrong.

“Liam...” Theo took a deep breath, “I want you to understand something. This. Us. Everything about it is new to me, ok? I’ve never--”

“Theo, I know. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t--”

Theo’s tone was harsh for a moment before easing off, “Little wolf, just stop talking for a couple minutes.”

Their eyes locked and it was clear Theo was waiting for some kind of acknowledgement. Liam nodded, but couldn’t help but bite his lip again. He had to physically stop himself from trying to talk.

“Sorry, Liam. I just need to get this out.” Theo sighed, “I’ve never felt this way before. It’s a lot. I didn’t even know I could feel this way. I think I finally understand it all now.”

Liam kept his lip clamped firmly between his teeth. These words seemed to pain Theo and he just wanted to stop him or distract him, but that wouldn’t be fair. He wanted to be reassuring, but Liam knew he looked like a mess instead.

“I only told one other person this before and I didn’t even mean to then. You were in pain and struggling and I just wanted you to be ok and the words just came out of my mouth. I don’t think there’s anyone in this world that means as much to me as you do.”

Liam felt so small under Theo’s gaze and yet at the same time felt he was the only other person in the world. Theo sounded so sad? No, not quite. He couldn’t place the emotion and with the shower washing away any chemosignals, Liam was lost.

“After everything I did, you gave me a second chance. One I definitely didn’t deserve, but you did it anyway. Then you kept giving me chances even when no one else thought you should and I couldn’t say how much that meant, how much that means to me. I couldn’t say it, so instead I did what I could to prove that I was worth those chances. I just kept on trying to show you I was worth it and it happened without me realizing. I didn’t just want you to feel like you made the right choice, I wanted you to want me there.”

It was true Liam wasn’t sure he’d made the right choice when he brought Theo back, but he had helped them. They had a shaky truce for a while, but Theo always stayed when he could have left. He always helped when, by the chimera’s own account, he should have run.

Liam could see even through the steam of the shower that Theo’s eyes were watering. He could hear his words starting to struggle to get out. He wanted to hug him, but he held his ground to listen like he’d been asked to do.

“Then, when it finally felt like you did, I got scared. I didn’t want to find out that feeling was wrong, so I held back. I even tried to leave, but I couldn’t. I know I just needed to send a text, but I couldn’t be the one who needed you. I wouldn’t let myself. Then you showed up all frustrated and angry and I thought I had finally fucked it all up. But you still gave me another chance. You still saw something in me that no one else did.”

Theo paused again, but Liam knew he wasn’t done. He more than ever wanted to hug him, but he sensed anything he did might interrupt what was going on. He could tell Theo needed this and he wanted him to have anything he needed.

“I know you know I care about you little wolf. I just don’t think you know how long I’ve cared about you. Hell, I didn’t really know how much I cared about you. Then you needed someone and you let that someone be me and I really started to get it. I really didn’t want to ruin things, so I was careful. I still don’t want to ruin things.”

Liam could hear the strain in Theo’s voice as he forced the words out. He watched the soft expression as the chimera opened up to him, heart as bare as his body. He suddenly knew what he saw in Theo’s eyes. Vulnerability.

“But that means that I can’t lie to you, little wolf. I’m never going to lie to you again. So, did I mean what I said?” Theo swallowed, “Yes. I love you. I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but I mean it. I love you, Liam.”

There was a moment of tension where Liam could feel Theo watching him and waiting for some kind of reaction. Liam finally let himself hug Theo, pulling him in as tight as possible. He could feel the dam break as Theo started to cry, chin on his shoulder. This close Liam could make out the bit of uncertainty that wafted off the chimera. He hated it. He didn’t want to leave him with any questions and so he said what he felt, even if anyone else might think it was ridiculous. He spoke his words directly into Theo’s ear.

“I love you too, Theo. I don’t fully understand how it happened either, but I know that it’s true. I love you and I want you with me.”

Liam felt his own tears trickle onto his cheeks. They held each other, smiling despite their crying and letting the shower wash the lingering anxiety and worry away until there was only a warm giddiness. They found each other’s lips and got lost in a kiss until there was a banging on the bathroom door.

“Leave the rest of us some hot water!” Melissa’s ‘mom’ voice came through.

“Ok, sorry!” Theo shouted back.

They laughed and Liam finally helped Theo actually wash up. They helped each other dry off and almost didn’t get dressed again, but they knew they had to. The pack would be there today and they weren’t sure exactly when.

* * *

Nolan hugged up against Alec as he woke up, dragging the tip of his nose across the back of his neck and planting a soft kiss there. Alec wiggled back against him, before stretching awake in his arms. As he finished his stretch, he put a hand over one of Nolan’s and laced their fingers together.

“Good morning, babe.” Alec whispered.

“It is good, isn’t it.”

“Except for the part where we have to go home tonight.”

“Maybe your aunt will let you stay at my place?” Nolan nosed at Alec’s ear.

“Why don’t you make sure if it’s ok to have me over first?”

Alec shifted around to face him and Nolan could see Alec's brown eyes were still a bit fuzzy with sleep. Alec gently rubbed the tips of their noses together and Nolan blushed. Then he leaned in and kissed him before trying to rub some more of the sleep out of his eyes.

Nolan giggled, “You know my mom likes you.”

“And I want her to keep liking me, so please, babe, just ask.”

Nolan rolled his eyes, “Fine, I’ll check first.”

Alec pulled in close and nuzzled into his neck. Nolan felt a bit of a tickle as Alec breathed in deep and pulled their hips together. Nolan turned red when he felt Alec pressing against him, even more so when he realized they weren’t the only ones awake.

Alec mumbled into his neck, “Sorry, not sorry.”

Nolan nervously looked around the living room. He could hear Melissa coming down the stairs and Corey and Mason talking over by the kitchen. He kissed the side of Alec’s head before giving him another hug.

“We should probably get up.” Nolan whispered

Alec chuckled and shrugged, “Alright, one of us has to be the responsible one.”

Nolan grinned and stole another kiss before carefully peeling back the blanket. The cool air felt nice, but he still didn’t really want to leave Alec’s warmth. He forced himself to anyway.

He pushed himself to his feet and Alec stood up behind him, following him as they joined Corey and Mason in the kitchen. Melissa was grabbing milk out of the fridge as they came in and there were a few cereal boxes on the counter with bowls and spoons. Nolan let Melissa make herself a bowl before grabbing spoons, bowls, and a box for himself and Alec.

Melissa finished chewing a bite, “Scott’s coming back today.”

Alec perked up a bit, “Really?”

“Yep, they should already be in the air, but it’s a long flight, so they probably won’t be in until night time. He’s hoping you can stay one more night so he can talk to you guys.”

Nolan poked at the dry cereal in his bowl, “I don’t know, I’ll try. Can we just stay for a while once he gets here?”

“I’m sure that’ll be fine.”

Melissa pushed the milk jug to Nolan. He poured some over his cereal before letting Alec take it. They crunched on their breakfast a bit before Liam and Theo came down from upstairs.

“I was going to order something.” Theo didn’t sound too upset.

Melissa shrugged as she finished her bowl and set in the sink, “You can order lunch.”

Theo shrugged as he and Liam both made bowls for themselves. Melissa looked at them and chuckled before heading back upstairs. They both seemed happier than usual. Nolan wondered if he was the only one who saw it, but it was pretty clean Mason had noticed too from the way he was tilting his head and squinting at them.

“Ok, what’s going on with you two?” Mason’s tone was almost accusatory.

“Just had a good morning.” Liam spoke through a mouthful of cereal that didn’t diminish his smile.

Nolan watched as Liam and Mason traded expressions. It wasn’t surprising that they could communicate without words, the two were best friends. Nolan just wished he understood at least half of it before it was all over.

“So, Scott’s coming back today?” Nolan was too anxious to stay quiet.

“Yeah, I guess Melissa told you?” Liam shrugged, still smiling.

“He wants to talk to all of us?”

“I think the rest of the pack is coming with him.” Liam took another big bite of cereal.

“Oh, uh, are you sure I should stay?”

Nolan didn’t get a chance to nervously scrape his spoon at the bottom of his empty bowl, because Alec had already taken it from him and headed to the sink. Instead, his leg started to bounce. At least, until Alec came back and put a hand on his thigh.

“I think you should stay.” Alec grinned.

Liam, Corey, and Mason all gave him reassuring nods while Theo just shrugged. From what Melissa said it was going to be hours before Scott came in and he was already feeling antsy about trying to figure out what to do with that much time. He could see if Mason was willing to show him more of the bestiary or maybe Theo would let them play games in his room. He knew he’d enjoy more time with Alec, but he hoped he could find some way to keep his mind off of what Scott would have to say.

“So, are we just going to sit here in silence the rest of the day?” Mason asked.

“Works for me.” Theo chuckled.

“Actually, I have to take care of something. So, Theo and I are going to have to leave for a while, but I’m sure he won’t mind if you guys use his TV?” Liam turned to Theo.

Theo rolled his eyes, “Go ahead.”

Nolan grinned. Gaming would definitely help the time fly. Even some movies or shows that they actually picked out instead of hoping for something decent on cable would be better. Nolan caught another exchange between Liam and Mason but gave up trying to understand early on.

Alec leaned over and whispered in his ear, “You still need to text your mom.”

Nolan sighed, “Yeah, you’re right.”

“So... text her?”

“Ok.”

Nolan got up and pulled out his phone, wandering to the living room. Alec followed him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before gesturing that he was going to follow Corey and Mason upstairs. Nolan nodded and watched him climb the stairs before turning back to the text he’d started.

_ Hey, Mom. Is it ok if I’m home late tonight? _

_ How late? _

_ I’m not really sure, sorry. _

_ Before or after dinner? _

_ After...  _

_ Fine. _

_ I have one more question. _

Nolan tossed in some sweating smile emojis. That last ‘fine’ from his mom hadn’t been a good sign for how the next question would be handled. He still had to try though.

_ What is it? _

_ Can Alec stay over tonight? Please. _

The dots that danced on the bottom of the screen made him nervous every time they disappeared and reappeared. His mom didn’t usually take this long to respond. He braced himself for bad news.

_ Did he talk to his aunt already? _

_ Yes. _

_ Ok. _

_ Are you sure? _

_ Do you want me to change my mind? _

_ Nope. Thank you! _

Nolan threw in some heart emojis for good measure. He couldn’t help but beam as he locked his phone and tucked it away. He was ready to head upstairs right away and give Alec the good news. He caught Liam and Theo on the way out waving goodbye before dashing up the stairs.

* * *

Theo hopped into the driver’s seat and buckled up. He grinned as Liam climbed up into the passenger side and put his own seatbelt on. He’d felt so much better since he’d opened up to Liam. The way Liam grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together almost made him forget about the fact that Liam's whole pack would be coming into town to judge him.

He’d decided before the day was over he would actually thank Melissa and he’d considered even thanking Derek. Probably. Of course, he’d have to suffer through the pack meeting first. And even before that he had promised to be there for Liam when he talked to his parents. Which is where he was taking Liam now.

“So, they really don’t know anything? Even after the anuk-ite?” Theo raised an eyebrow.

“They spend so much time at the hospital, the only thing they noticed was when the hunters took it over. And when that happened they stayed in hiding the whole time.”

“Oh, wow. Ok.”

Theo unlaced their fingers, put his truck in gear and headed out. He quickly put his hand back in Liam’s giving it a gentle squeeze as he steered with the other hand. Theo could see Liam looking out the passenger window as he drove on, something he always seemed to do when he worried.

“You’re probably going to have to show them, you know.”

Liam nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

“For what it’s worth, I think your wolf face is cute.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You don’t like mine?”

“I feel weird saying yes, but yes.”

“What’s weird about it?”

“I dunno.”

Theo rolled his eyes and squeezed Liam’s hand again. Traffic wasn’t too bad, so they were going to make decent time getting to Liam’s. He decided to pull over into an empty parking lot. He really felt like he should make sure Liam was ok.

“Why are we stopping?” Liam turned to look at him.

“I wanted to check if you’re actually ready for this.”

“I’m as ready as I’m going to be.” Liam shrugged.

“Look, I hate to ask this, but do you have a plan for if this doesn’t go well?”

Liam shifted in his seat and looked away, “Not really, no.”

“I don’t think Melissa would have a problem with you staying with me if you need to.”

Theo couldn’t imagine Melissa turning Liam away if something happened. He hated the selfish part of him that wished it would so that he could have Liam around more because he knew Liam would rather have his family stand by him, but that hate didn’t make it go away. He did his best to push the thought out of his mind.

Liam squeezed his hand, “Thanks, but I really hope it doesn’t come to that. I mean, not that I wouldn’t love to be there with you. I just want this to go ok. I don’t really want to think about losing my parents.”

“Sorry, little wolf. I wasn’t trying to stress you out. I just wanted to make sure you were prepared.”

“Honestly, I just want to get this over with.”

“Alright, then let’s do that.”

Theo pulled out of the lot and got back on the road. It would only be a few minutes before they’d be at Liam’s house. Maybe Liam didn’t want to have a plan, but Theo rarely operated without one. His mind raced through different possibilities and solutions as they got closer. He could see Liam staring out the window and he felt certain his little wolf was doing the opposite, trying to think about anything but what was about to happen.

As much as Theo spun his wheels, he didn’t come up with much. This whole scenario was really a wild card that he couldn’t relate to at all, it having been years since he had anything resembling an actual parent. He tried to imagine how he’d feel if he was having this talk with Melissa, but trying to see her as having no idea what was going on in Beacon Hills was impossible even for him.

He pulled up into Liam’s driveway and parked, cutting the engine. He looked over to Liam who looked back nervously. He felt the grip on his hand tighten as Liam scooted closer to him.

“Can we just sit here for a bit?” Liam pleaded.

“Of course, little wolf.”

Theo leaned on the console and kept his grip on Liam’s hand. He rubbed the back of it with his thumb while Liam hugged onto his arm, leaning his head against his shoulder. Even without focusing his hearing, the sound of Liam’s anxious swallow was loud and clear as he stared out towards the house.

“Theo?”

“Yes, little wolf?”

“Can you just let me handle this? I want you in there with me, but just... let me do all the talking. Ok?”

“Worried I’ll upset your parents?”

“No. I just need to do this myself.”

“I’ll be nice and quiet. I promise.” Theo couldn’t resist adding a joke, “I’ll just sit there and be your trophy boyfriend.”

Liam chuckled, “If anyone’s a trophy, it’s me.”

“Excuse you. I am a prize.”

“Maybe in an asshole competition.”

“You know that makes you the asshole right?”

Liam rolled his eyes, “Whatever.”

Theo’s arm was squeezed into another hug and he could smell that their joking had eased off a bit of Liam’s nervousness. He nuzzled into the top of Liam’s head before planting a quick kiss there as well. Liam took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh before pulling away.

“Ok, let’s get this over with.”

“After you.”

Liam climbed out of the truck and Theo followed him to the door, stepping inside after him. They made their way to the kitchen and took a seat at the dining room table. Theo gave Liam a puzzled glance after sitting in the silence of the house for a couple minutes.

“They’ll be up soon.” Liam assured him.

A few more minutes passed and Liam had taken hold of Theo’s hand again. The nervousness had returned, unfortunately stronger than before. Now Theo just wanted this whole thing to be over with too.

There was the sound of a shower starting somewhere in the house and Liam almost jumped. Theo stroked the back of his hand with his thumb again, trying to help him calm down. He could feel Liam physically starting to brace himself as the shower shut off, his muscles tensing even more when a bedroom door opened and closed.

Dr. Geyer walked into the kitchen and it looked like he was ready for work, “Hi, Liam. Theo.”

“Hey, Dad. I--”

“Nope. I feel like this is a conversation where I should have a cup of coffee in my hands, so give me a couple minutes so I can make that happen.”

Liam tensed again, even more anxious now. It definitely felt like getting off on the wrong foot, but Dr. Geyer didn’t read like he was in a particularly grumpy mood. Theo moved his leg to press against Liam’s trying to offer him a bit more comfort.

There was some thunking of cabinets and the bubbling hiss of the coffee maker before Dr. Geyer opened the fridge and poured some creamer into his cup. The smell of coffee floated through the room, a nice moment of relief from Liam’s nervous chemosignals. After a moment Dr. Geyer sat across from them, cup in hand.

“So, you said you would explain everything?”

Liam’s tension got even worse somehow and Theo initially thought it was because the conversation had actually started, but he realized that wasn’t quite it. Liam was looking into the house, past Dr. Geyer. Of course, Liam had said parents and only one of them was here. Considering Theo hadn’t seen Liam’s mom even once he didn’t think it was unfair of him to forget that she was supposed to be part of this.

“Where’s mom?”

Dr. Geyer sighed, “She had to go in early Liam.”

“Are you serious?!”

Theo felt the prick of claws on his skin. The normally smooth back of Liam’s hand was starting to have traces of hair sprinkled across it. He was relieved when a glance at Liam’s face showed the shift hadn’t moved past his hands.

“Just tell me what’s going on and I’ll tell her. It’s not that big of a deal, Liam.” Dr. Geyer sipped his coffee.

“Dad,” Liam was gritting his teeth, “it’s a big deal. She was supposed to be here.”

“She had to work, Liam. Do you want her to just quit her job?”

“If it means I can actually talk to her, yes!”

The claws were digging in now. Ow. Fucking ow. He squeezed Liam’s hand to try to remind him who he was cutting into, but it didn’t seem to change anything.

“Liam, we’ve talked about this.”

“Can’t you see how that doesn’t make it better?!”

“You know how--”

“She can’t be here even once when it’s important?! When you’ve both known for a whole week that we’re supposed to have this conversation?!”

“She’s just--”

“Stop making excuses for her!”

Liam’s other hand came down on the table. There was a loud crack as the wood splintered, falling apart onto their laps. Dr. Geyer sat there, holding his coffee looking between Liam and the now destroyed table with wide eyes. Theo definitely hadn’t run through this possibility on the way here, so he didn’t even have a hint of an idea of what Liam would do now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would love to hear what you guys think about the story so far!
> 
> I'm not ready for it to end, but we're definitely headed there... :(


	33. Friends And Family

It was clear his step-dad didn’t know how to feel as Liam watched his face. Different emotions coming and going in a moment accompanied by a confusing mix of chemosignals. Liam was just too angry and he didn’t want to hurt Theo. He knew his IED wasn’t really going anywhere and neither was his biggest trigger, his mom.

“Liam!” Dr. Geyer shouted.

Liam was mad. Mad at his mom for never being around. Mad at his step-dad for always being ready to defend her. Mad at himself for still letting her get to him. He should have known better. He should have expected her not to show up. Instead, he hoped that today would be different, but why would it ever be different.

Liam pushed his chair back, “I’m sorry, I can’t. I can’t do this.”

He got up and pulled his hand away from Theo, turning around to leave. Then he saw the blood on his claws, Theo’s blood. He’d been so angry he hadn’t noticed and that made him feel worse. Now he was trying to fight back both anger and tears.

“Liam, don’t you dare walk out of here.” Dr Geyer’s tone was stern.

That’s exactly what he wanted to do. He didn’t want to be around the result of his uncontrolled anger. He looked down and could see splinters of wood dusting his pant leg. He could still smell the tang of Theo’s blood and feel the wetness of it on his fingers.

There was a barely imperceptible whisper from Theo, “Don’t forget, you came here to do something. I’m still here for you.”

Liam turned back to see Theo looking at him, arm over the back of the chair. His hand had traces of blood, but no cuts or wounds. The table was still destroyed though and his step-dad was already standing, setting his coffee on the kitchen counter.

Liam’s emotions were still in flux, his sadness channeling into anger, and it kept his shift in flux too. He was holding it back to the best of his ability, but couldn’t get his claws to go away. He was frozen as Dr. Geyer came over to him and pulled on the arm he’d used to break the table.

“Dad, don’t.” Liam whispered.

“Let’s see if you hurt yourself--”

Liam hesitated before looking up. Dr. Geyer’s expression was a mix of shock and confusion. His eyes were locked on the oddly hairy hand and the sharp claws that extended from Liam’s fingers. After a moment he turned Liam’s hand over and checked the part he’d slammed down onto the table, lightly pressing into the flesh to test if it was tender at all. Liam’s anger was overtaken by his own fear and by the time his step-dad turned his hand back over, it was back to normal. Liam watched as Dr. Geyer squinted at his hand before his face relaxed.

“At least you didn’t hurt yourself.”

“Dad, I’m--”

“No, you’re right. I shouldn’t make excuses for her.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“No. I’m the adult here. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“I’m still sorry.”

Dr. Geyer nodded and put a hand on his shoulder, “I know, Liam. Let’s move this discussion to the living room.”

Liam took a deep breath and braced himself. His step-dad was trying to act like he hadn’t just destroyed a table with ease. Like he hadn’t seen the strange transformation of his hand. Ignoring that wasn’t why he was here.

“Dad, no.”

Dr. Geyer gave him a confused look. Liam swallowed and prepared himself for what he was going to do next. He glanced over to Theo who nodded reassuringly.

“You weren’t seeing things.”

“Liam, what are you talking about?” Dr. Geyer was puzzled.

“My hand. I know you saw it.”

“Yeah, you weren’t hurt. I’m glad you--”

“No, Dad. The claws, the hair, it was real.”

Dr. Geyer’s brow furrowed as looked Liam in the eye, “Son, what are you talking about?”

Liam channeled the frustration he was starting to feel into his shift. After a moment he could feel his fingertips extend into claws again. He lifted his hand a bit and gestured down to it.

“This. It’s real.”

Liam watched as Dr. Geyer’s gaze traveled over his claws before darting around the room. He knew he was thinking, probably trying to justify how this could happen. Of course this couldn’t be that easy.

“Dad, stop. Look at it. Look at me.”

Liam let the shift take him. The fuzz sprouted across his sideburns and cheeks. His ears elongated to peak out of his shaggy hair. Finally, the golden glow shined in his eyes.

“Liam, what?” Dr. Geyer fumbled even the two simple words.

“I’m a werewolf, Dad.”

“No. That-- Those don’t exist.”

“Yes, they do.” Liam spoke plainly, emphasizing each word.

“That’s crazy. This is crazy. I’m crazy.”

“You’re not crazy.”

Dr. Geyer let go of his hand and walked over to the counter. He grabbed his coffee and sipped it before shakily setting it back down. He turned back around and looked almost worried when Liam still looked the same. He looked at Theo.

“You see this too?”

Theo nodded, “Yeah.”

“So, I’m not going insane?” Dr. Geyer whispered out the words carefully.

“Nope.”

“Wha-- How? When?! I have so many questions.”

“Scott had to bite me to save me that night on the roof of the hospital. I can try to answer the rest.”

“Wait, Scott did this to you?”

“To save me. I would have fallen off the roof if he hadn’t.” Liam unconsciously rubbed where the bite had healed over.

“So, that means Scott is one too?”

“Yep.”

Liam watched his step-dad’s eyes darting around again, trying to process all this new information. He could almost see him making connections about what this meant and the things he’d seen at the hospital. Then Dr. Geyer’s eyes stopped on Theo.

“Are you?”

“Sort of.” Theo shrugged.

“Sort of?”

“Half.”

“There can be half-werewolves?” Dr. Geyer’s brow furrowed again.

“My situation is pretty complicated.” Theo glanced at Liam, “I can tell you later.”

Dr. Geyer grabbed one of the dining room chairs and pulled it back. Bits of broken table that had still been supported by it clattered to the ground as it moved out from under them. Liam’s step-dad slowly took a seat again.

“So, why were you gone all week?”

Liam spoke slowly, “There were hunters in town. We needed to hide while we figured out how to take care of them.”

“Take care of them? You didn’t--”

“Oh! No! No. They’re in jail.”

Dr. Geyer let out a relieved sigh, “Ok.”

Liam crossed back to the broken table, letting his shift recede. He put his hands on Theo’s shoulders, but when he noticed the blood still on one of them he hid it behind Theo’s back. Liam was going to have to apologize to him later.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

Dr. Geyer blinked at him and frowned, “I’m sorry she’s not here.”

“Me too.” Liam choked a bit.

“Do you want me to tell her?”

Liam thought about that for a moment, “You know what? No. She can find out when she decides she wants to be here.”

Silence fell over them for a moment. Theo reached up to squeeze Liam’s hand and tilted his head back against Liam’s chest. Dr. Geyer’s eyes still showed he wasn’t done thinking about all of this.

“So, you’re back home then?” Dr. Geyer asked.

“Honestly, I’d like to stay at Theo’s this weekend, if that’s ok?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

“Thank you.”

“I expect you to be back Sunday night. You can’t miss anymore school this year.”

“I’m definitely not planning on it.”

“Good, I don’t want you ruining your chance at getting into a good college.”

Liam felt another reassuring squeeze on his hand. He sighed and shrugged. Might as well get everything out there now.

“Dad, I, uh... I don’t think I want to go to college.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Dr. Geyer was almost glaring at him.

Liam nervously pulled away from Theo. He didn’t want his step-dad to think this was Theo’s fault somehow. He made his way over to the kitchen sink, bloody hand behind his back. It was really distracting him now and he wanted to be as clear headed as he could.

“I mean, I don’t want to do the whole going off to college thing.”

“What do you mean? What do you think you’re going to do?”

Liam started washing his hand, using extra soap, “Stay in Beacon Hills? Figure out what I want to be?”

“You can figure that out in college. No one really knows at first what--”

“I’m not going.” Liam cut him off, “I mean, I’ll take some online classes or something, but I want to actually figure out who I am. I want to--”

“Liam, you need to think about your future.”

“I have.” Liam shut off the sink and dried his hands on a towel, “A bunch of my friends already left for college. It’s not like I haven’t been thinking about it. Corey and Mason have already started applying too. I just-- When I sat down to start all of that... I don’t want that. Ok?”

“You can’t just not go to college.”

“So, I’d be less of a person if I didn’t?” Liam could feel some anger creeping back in.

“How do you expect to survive if you don’t?”

Liam shoved the towel back in it’s spot. His eyes flicked to Theo for a moment, an example of someone doing just that. He didn’t want to bring him into this though.

“I’ll find a job. Besides, I said I would take some classes. I have to anyway.”

“Of course you have to, Liam.”

Liam balled up his fists for a moment, “Look, Dad, I have a plan, ok? It’s just not your plan.”

“Liam, we just want what’s best for you.”

“Do you? It sounds like you want me to do what was best for you.”

Dr. Geyer paused, eyes darting around the room as he was thinking again. He got up and grabbed his coffee, this time downing it in one go. He set the cup back down and nodded.

“I have to go to work. I’ll think about... all of this. Can you two clean up before you leave?”

Liam sighed, “Yeah.”

“We will.” Theo added.

Dr. Geyer grabbed his keys and headed out the door. Liam grabbed a broom, dust pan, and some trash bags from a closet. Theo helped him gather up all the parts and pieces, breaking down the larger ones a bit more so they’d fit. Theo even offered to replace the table, but Liam didn’t think that was fair, this had been his own fault and Theo shouldn’t have to deal with it.

When they were done, they climbed back into Theo’s truck. Liam grabbed his arm and leaned against him. The stress of everything finally started to hit him.

“Thank you.” Liam whispered.

“All I did was help you clean up.”

“No, I mean, thanks for being here.”

“Of course, little wolf.”

Theo kissed the top of his head and gently rubbed his shoulder. Liam felt the hand move to his chin and tilt it upwards. Theo planted another soft kiss on his lips.

“Buckle up.” Theo winked.

* * *

Nolan found himself holding Alec again as the movie got started. When Alec had heard Corey and Mason hadn’t seen the last Thor movie he became insistent they watch it. Nolan grinned as Alec seemed to get more excited as he convinced them to put it on. It made him feel less weird about being such a big fan himself.

Corey and Mason had probably only agreed because of the sheer amount of intensity directed at them, but as the movie went on they were definitely laughing along and enjoying it. He and Alec had let Corey and Mason have the bed, taking a spot at the foot of it on the floor for themselves. Alec had quickly worked his way into Nolan’s arms, nuzzling against his chest.

Nolan had noticed how Alec seemed to be both kinds of anxious for Scott’s arrival. It felt a little weird being the one to offer comfort and grounding, but he definitely didn’t mind. He found himself idly playing with the curls of Alec’s hair and gently trailing his fingers across the top of Alec’s forearm.

Nolan had to admit he was kind of nervous about Scott and the others coming back. He knew he’d tried to help them and he’d just helped Liam, but he still didn’t feel like that was enough. He was sure he would feel like an imposter at that meeting, but if Alec wanted him there, he’d stay for it.

Alec grabbed the hand that had been playing across his forearm and laced their fingers together. Nolan felt him nose at his neck and cheek, turning to see those gorgeous brown eyes pleading for attention. Nolan smiled and leaned in, giving Alec a gentle peck before being pulled into a longer slower kiss. Alec beamed at him afterwards, somehow snuggling in even closer to his chest and Nolan couldn’t help but smile.

When the movie ended Corey and Mason said they needed to go check in with Mason’s parents. Nolan wasn’t sure how true it was, but they probably needed some real alone time. He knew he would appreciate some with Alec, even if their clothes stayed on the whole time.

“So, what do you want to do?” Nolan was playing with Alec’s hair again.

“I’m doing it.” Alec nuzzled into his chest again for emphasis.

Nolan chuckled, “Ok.”

Alec took a deep breath with his nose buried in Nolan’s shirt, the coolness of it replaced by a soft warmth when he exhaled slowly. Nolan was still learning about werewolves, but from what Mason had shown him they had a strong sense of smell, so he figured Alec must like the way he smelled. It was both weird and cute at the same time.

“You’re going to be fine tonight.” Alec whispered.

Nolan was a little taken back at what felt like a random comment, “Uh, ok.”

“Really. You helped everyone. Again.”

He hoped it was enough, “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Babe, if they’re ok with Theo being there you are definitely fine.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, nevermind.”

Nolan pushed Alec off of his chest, “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Alec chuckled playfully.

“Say something like that then just ‘nevermind’ me. You know I’m just going to think about it all day.”

“Yeah, sorry. I do like how cute you look when you’re all flustered though.”

Nolan narrowed his eyes, “Rude.”

“Oh my god, are you trying to glare at me?” Alec was laughing, “Babe, you are so damn adorable.”

Alec assaulted him with kisses on his cheeks. He wanted to be mad, but he ended up laughing along at the end of it. He still wanted to know what he was talking about.

“So, explain please.”

Alec took a deep breath, “Well, Mason told me Theo’s was basically a villain in the past. I know it’s hard to believe now, but he did some pretty terrible things apparently.”

Nolan felt like he’d done some pretty terrible things too, “Yeah, he’s not the only one.”

“Babe, that’s not what I mean.”

Nolan sighed, “Yeah, I know. It’s just...”

Alec grabbed his cheek and looked him in the eyes, “They want you here, ok?”

“Ok. Ok.” Nolan half heartedly grinned.

Alec glared at him, “Trust me, ok? They really do want you here.”

It was still hard to believe, but he trusted Alec so he would do his best. He’d always read that this is what friendships were supposed to be like, but he thought it was just one of those things that’s exaggerated in fiction. Yet, of all people, Corey and Mason had actually been sorry after their meddling with him and Liam. Maybe Liam wasn’t some weird fluke and people actually do forgive each other.

Nolan nodded, “I trust you.”

“Thank you.” Alec gave him a quick kiss.

Nolan giggled, “Besides, you need your hero to be here, right?”

Alec grinned, “Yeah, I do.”

Nolan laughed as Alec playfully tackled him. They wrestled around a bit before Nolan pulled Alec’s mouth to his. The kiss felt almost endless as they made out on the floor of Theo’s room. It really was nice to get some alone time.

* * *

Theo drove for a while. He wasn’t ready to go back to Melissa’s yet and he didn’t think Liam was either. So, he spent some time weaving through town with Liam leaning against his arm.

They drove past the mall and through downtown. Theo noted he’d have to take Liam back to the arcade some time and actually make a date of it, considering hunters had ruined them getting to do that last time. He even swung by the diner. Stopped at the light on the corner, they could see it was still covered in police tape.

“I hope Jane’s ok.” Liam muttered.

“Yeah, she was actually pretty nice.”

“How long do you think it’ll be closed?”

Theo shrugged, “I don’t know.”

The light changed and Theo drove on. He hoped the restaurant could recover, especially since he and Liam had made some pretty important memories there. He glanced in the rear-view as it shrunk away, the bright yellow ribbons of caution tape that encircled it unnerved him.

“Do you want to go anywhere?” Theo asked.

“Not really.”

“I can take us back then.”

“Alright.”

Theo headed back towards Melissa’s. He found himself hoping that everyone else had been ok while they were gone. It was kind of weird for him to realize he was starting to care about more than just Liam and Melissa. Even more surprising for him was that he was enjoying having people in his life.

As they pulled into the driveway, Liam sat upright and Theo missed his warmth. They offered each other slight grins as they unbuckled their seatbelts and got out of the truck. Something was different, but it was Liam who realized it first.

“Looks like Mason and Corey left.”

Theo looked at the empty space where Mason’s car had been, “I’m sure they’ll be back.”

“Yeah, they’re not going to miss a pack meeting.”

Theo still wasn’t really ready for that. He nodded to Liam and headed for the door, opening it to let him inside. He followed Liam in and wrapped him up in a hug from behind, putting his lips to Liam’s ear so he could whisper to him.

“Hey, I need to talk to Melissa. You wanna check in on the two upstairs?”

“Sure.” Liam leaned back into his arms.

Theo perked up his hearing a bit, “Well, you better hurry before you walk in on more than a make out session.”

Liam chuckled and turned around in his arms, hugging him back. Theo got a soft kiss on his lips before Liam broke away to head upstairs. He watched him go, still trying to collect his thoughts.

He went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water, gulping down half of it. He pulled out his phone and found Melissa’s number. He hovered over the keypad for a few moments before typing something out.

_ Hey, I’d like to talk when you get a chance. _

He was surprised to see a response being typed right away. To be fair, he hadn’t really been keeping track of Melissa’s work schedule this week. He felt himself brace for the response.

_ Ok, go ahead. _

_ I mean in person. _

_ Ah, ok. Are you in the house? _

_ Yes. _

Theo felt himself get nervous when no reply started. Then he realized she’s already home too. He’d been so distracted by Liam and the pair in his room that he hadn’t even checked for Melissa. So her bedroom door opening and closing before her feet hit the stairs was a bit of a surprise.

He grabbed one of the stools at the kitchen island and took a seat, half-empty bottle of water still in his hands. He didn’t understand why he was so nervous. It wasn’t like this was going to be a bad conversation or anything.

Melissa stood at the edge of the kitchen, “Hey, what’s up?”

Theo slowly spun the bottle, “I just wanted to tell you something.”

“This seems pretty serious.” Melissa looked concerned as she took a seat across from him.

“It’s not that serious.” It sure felt like a big deal for some reason.

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense.”

“I just wanted to say...” Theo’s volume dropped to a whisper, “Thank you.”

Melissa arched an eyebrow at him and leaned forward, “I’m sorry, what?”

Theo raised his voice, “Thank you, ok?”

Melissa was smiling with both eyebrows raised now, almost laughing out her words, “Was that an actual ‘thank you’? Am I actually awake?”

Theo felt uncomfortable now, he hadn’t wanted it to be a joke. Melissa was always quick at reading people though and she had obviously caught on to how he felt. Her smile was gone and he saw her almost reach out to him before she clasped her hands to stop herself.

“Sorry.” Any hint of a laugh had left her voice.

Theo knew she was. She’d been honest with him from day one, which had been weird for him at first, but he’d grown to appreciate it. His mouth felt dry again, so he took another drink of water which didn’t help much.

“Seriously, Melissa, thank you. You really didn’t have to help me. Especially after...” Theo swallowed.

“You’re right. I didn’t have to.”

She reached out again, slower this time. Theo didn’t stop her as her hand closed around his wrist. She gave it a slight squeeze and they looked at each other.

“I’m sorry.” Theo felt the wetness creeping at the edge of his eyes, “I wish I could undo the things that I did. I know that I can’t, but I wish I hadn’t done it. Any of it.”

Melissa’s tone was calm and even, “You think you’d be living in my house if I didn’t know that?”

“Scott and I used to be friends and I...” Theo couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

Melissa let out a slow sigh, “I remember, but you can’t do this to yourself. This might surprise you, but Scott actually explained your... situation to me.”

Theo wiped the edges of his eyes with his free hand. After opening up to Liam this morning he thought this would be easier, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Realizing just how much he’d hurt his old friends was tough to process. Even moreso because he’d meant to do it at the time. He’d truly been a monster, abusing their friendship and connection to try to achieve his ridiculous goal.

Watching Liam this morning with his step-father had really helped him understand why. Liam just wanted his mom to be there, to care. He wanted Dr. Geyer to approve of who he was and what he wanted to do with his life. That had basically been the same for Theo. Except he’d been taken from his family and forced into a new one. The three ‘parents’ he had did nothing but offer empty promises and call him worthless. He’d been taught that morals didn’t matter, that emotional connections were a weakness, so he abused them.

His time in whatever hell dimension Kira had sent him to had taught him that. It hadn’t been kind or gentle about it, but he wasn’t sure he would have understood if it was. He was starting to think the experience had been a gift. He wouldn’t be here talking to someone who clearly cared about him if it hadn’t happened. He wouldn’t be with someone he actually loved. Without that experience he wasn’t even sure he’d be capable of love.

“Yeah.” Theo looked down at her hand, “Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

Melissa let go of his wrist then, crossing around the island to stand next to him. Then she did something he definitely didn’t expect. She hugged him.

“Everyone deserves a second chance, Theo. I’m glad you’re not wasting yours.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, folks. These last bits have been tough to write, but I assure you I'm working towards our ending here.  
> Hydrate, rest if you need to, and I hope you have a good week.


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